The
geometer moths are moths belonging to the
family Geometridae of the insect
order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek
geo γη or γαια 'the earth' and
metron μέτρων 'measure' in reference to the way their larvae, or
inchworms, appear to "measure the earth" as they move along in a looping fashion. A very large family, it has around 35,000 species of
moths described, and over 1400 species from six subfamilies indigenous to
North America alone. A well-known member is the
peppered moth,
Biston betularia, which has been subject of numerous studies in
population genetics. Several other geometer moths are notorious
pests.