Acopa carina - Hodges#9825
Acopa carina
This record describes Acopa carina (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Pale creamy-white ground color with jagged dark brown basal, AM, and PM lines, and a dark reniform blotch between the latter two lines. Terminal line of brown dashes. Overscaling of dark brown scales is highly variable; some individuals are quite dark.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Bryophilinae
- Genus
- Acopa
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Type: Texas. Primarily encountered in southwest Texas from Kinney County west to the Trans-Pecos, but there are also records from Kerr, Travis, and possibly Bosque Cos. Apparently prone to wander occasionally as there are also Montana and Colorado records.
Seasonal Activity
Flies from August to October.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Acopa carina. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Acopa carina - Hodges#9825 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Steve Nanz; Additional contributions by Maury Heiman , Chuck Sexton , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Acopa carina - Hodges#9825
What is Acopa carina - Hodges#9825?
Acopa carina - Hodges#9825 (Acopa carina) is a species in the family Noctuidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Acopa carina - Hodges#9825?
Wingspan 23 mm. (Harvey)
How do you identify Acopa carina - Hodges#9825?
Pale creamy-white ground color with jagged dark brown basal, AM, and PM lines, and a dark reniform blotch between the latter two lines. Terminal line of brown dashes. Overscaling of dark brown scales is highly variable; some individuals are quite dark.
Where is Acopa carina - Hodges#9825 found?
Range: Type: Texas. Primarily encountered in southwest Texas from Kinney County west to the Trans-Pecos, but there are also records from Kerr, Travis, and possibly Bosque Cos. Apparently prone to wander occasionally as there are also Montana and Colorado records.
When is Acopa carina - Hodges#9825 active?
Acopa carina - Hodges#9825: seasonal activity - Flies from August to October..