Winter Moth, home

The first of the Winter Moths, a viciously invasive species imported from Europe via Canada, have started to appear at the outdoor lights, and this is not cause for celebration. To be sure, Operophtera brumata is something of an awe-inspiring insect, since the seemingly fragile-looking members of the Geometrid moth family are able to handle below-freezing temperatures. And I suppose you have to give the darn things credit for being able to invade our area and prosper—most attempts at colonization fail completely. But, grudging respect aside, Winter Moth caterpillars, which will hatch in the spring, are a genuine plague on our trees and cause significant defoliation damage in advance of that other leaf-munching menace, the Gypsy Moth. With any luck, this lone adult will be the only member of its tribe to arrive this year, a sign that perhaps introduced biological control agents—tiny wasps and flies—are beginning to do the job of lowering O. brumata populations. That would be a genuine ecological gift.