Geometer moth

A moth in the family Geometridae, whose larvae commonly move by alternately extending and contracting their bodies in a looping gait called inching.

Geometridae: A large family of moths whose larvae typically have reduced middle prolegs and move in looping steps. Geometer moths are members of this family.
Inching: A looping form of locomotion in which an animal alternately anchors its front and rear body regions. Many geometer larvae move by drawing their hind end forward in this pattern.
Winter moth: A European geometrid moth whose larvae can defoliate fruit trees and broadleaf trees. Its caterpillars are a notable agricultural and forestry pest.
Luna moth: A large, pale green moth in the family Saturniidae, native to North America. Its striking appearance is often associated with moths, but it is not a geometer.
Lepidoptera: The insect order comprising moths and butterflies, distinguished by scale-covered wings. Geometridae belongs to this broader order.
Caterpillar locomotion: The coordinated movements by which caterpillars grip surfaces and advance their bodies. Inching is a distinctive form of caterpillar movement.
Peppered moth: A geometrid moth known for a change in the frequency of dark and pale forms during industrial pollution. Its coloration became a classic case of natural selection in the wild.
Pepper and salt moth: A black-and-white geometrid moth found in parts of Europe. Its contrasting wing pattern illustrates the varied adult forms within Geometridae.
Inchworm: The caterpillar of a geometrid moth, named for its characteristic looping movement. This familiar larval form gives geometer moths their common name.
Thoracic leg: One of the three pairs of jointed legs on an insect’s thorax. Geometrid larvae use their front thoracic legs to anchor the forward body.

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