Operophtera bruceata: taxon details and analytics

Domain
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Geometridae
Genus
Operophtera
Species
Operophtera bruceata
Scientific Name
Operophtera bruceata

Summary description from Wikipedia:

Operophtera bruceata

Operophtera bruceata, the Bruce spanworm, hunter's moth, or native winter moth is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by George Duryea Hulst in 1886. It is found from coast to coast in southern Canada and the northern parts of the United States.

The wingspan of the males is 25–30 mm. Females have underdeveloped wings and do not fly. Adults are on wing from October to December.

The Bruce spanworm looks very similar and has a similar life cycle to the invasive congener winter moth (O. brumata). The Bruce spanworm is known to hybridize with the winter moth. The two species look almost identical to one another; however, they can be distinguished morphologically by comparing uncus shape or by using DNA analyses. The Bruce spanworm uses the same pheromone as the winter moth.

The larvae hatch in the early spring after overwintering as eggs. The neonates primarily feed on the buds and nearly unfurled leaves of sugar maple, American beech and trembling aspen. They have also been recorded on willow and various other deciduous trees. After feeding for a few weeks, the late instar caterpillars drop down to the soil and build an earthen cocoon. They pupate until the late fall or early winter when they emerge as adults.

Disease from viruses and microsporidia have been noted to effect the larvae and pupae of the Bruce spanworm. Virus infections by a nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) baculovirus was found to be low in Bruce spanworm populations collected in the northeast U.S. and was found to be related to but distinct from the NPV that was detected in the winter moth in the same region. However, collections for Bruce spanworm larvae from an outbreak population in Maine had high levels of infection by microsporidia.

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Operophtera bruceata in languages:

English
Bruce Spanworm
English
Winter Moth
English
Bruce Spanworm Moth
French
Arpenteuse de Bruce

Images from inaturalist.org observations:

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Operophtera bruceata
©Jordan Haber, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Operophtera bruceata
©Jordan Haber, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Operophtera bruceata
©Jace, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Louis Chevrier, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©S Boisvert, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©S Boisvert, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©isojiwhite, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©mhalsted, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Pierrette, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Dominic DiGregorio, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Dominic DiGregorio, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©William (Bill) Mountan, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paul Tavares, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paul Tavares, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Angelique Jermac, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Marc Belisle, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jim Thompson, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©joannedaniel, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©joannedaniel, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©joannedaniel, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Erin O'Connor, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Erin O'Connor, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Erin O'Connor, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Kat Lloyd, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Operophtera bruceata
©Kat Lloyd, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Operophtera bruceata
©Kat Lloyd, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Operophtera bruceata
©Kat Lloyd, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Greg S., some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©William (Bill) Mountan, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jeff Stacey, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Lauren Dirth, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Heather Haughn, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©David M. Gascoigne, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jewelwing66, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Operophtera bruceata
©Jewelwing66, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Operophtera bruceata
©Jewelwing66, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Operophtera bruceata
©Jewelwing66, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Operophtera bruceata
©Jewelwing66, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jewelwing66, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Nikolett Tóth, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Nikolett Tóth, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Logan Crees, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©akamediancat, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Anders Thelemarck, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Anders Thelemarck, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Peter Baker, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Timothy Grover, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Timothy Grover, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Michael T. Hallworth, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Michael T. Hallworth, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©damptoast, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©kwetterhorn, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©kwetterhorn, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©naturellis, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©dsharrett, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©dsharrett, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©iangardner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©iangardner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Louis Imbeau, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Louis Imbeau, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Louis Imbeau, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©stevewalternature, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jordan Haber, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jordan Haber, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jordan Haber, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Operophtera bruceata
©Jordan Haber, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jordan Haber, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jordan Haber, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Bethany, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©dalcourtfamily, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Schelly Cramer, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©tylercemenski, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Tonia A. Dousay, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-SA)
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©curiouscormorant, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©curiouscormorant, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©curiouscormorant, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Sean Cozart, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Séraphin Poudrier, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Séraphin Poudrier, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Séraphin Poudrier, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Séraphin Poudrier, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Séraphin Poudrier, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©happy4077, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©er1kagr0tt3, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Rachel Baxter, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Rachel Baxter, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Joe Walewski, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Wally Mattson, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©stevekolbe, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Sarah Lamond, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Camille Boucher, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Camille Boucher, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Joeb, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Joeb, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Joeb, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Joeb, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Joeb, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©hscott152, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©errantlight, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mathew Zappa, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Mathew Zappa, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Brady Millsop, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Joe Bartok, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©bugger44, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©bugger44, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Tiarelle, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Tiarelle, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Tiarelle, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Louis Chevrier, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jean-Serge, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©julia_tsang, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Angelique Jermac, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mathew Zappa, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©mhalsted, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Matthew Thompson, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©fsamoisette, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©C. Desjardins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©C. Desjardins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Priscilla, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Priscilla, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Priscilla, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Priscilla, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Priscilla, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paul Tavares, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©attilathehunnie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Operophtera bruceata
©attilathehunnie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©attilathehunnie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©attilathehunnie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©attilathehunnie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©attilathehunnie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Maurice Raymond, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Maurice Raymond, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©gonature1, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©gonature1, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Tiarelle, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Tiarelle, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©bugsforgen22, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©bugsforgen22, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©wanderingeden, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Joe Bartok, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Dale, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Dale, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Dale, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mathew Zappa, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Swampgirl, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©lichennoel, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©William (Bill) Mountan, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©thegardenobserver, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©thegardenobserver, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Suzanne Labbé, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Michel Larrivée, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Camille Boucher, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Camille Boucher, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©mhalsted, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©mhalsted, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Christine Drake, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©joannerusso, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©joannerusso, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Marc Belisle, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Operophtera bruceata
©Marc Belisle, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)