LepidopteraGlyphipterigidae – Sedge and False Diamondback Moths

Acrolepiopsis heppneri - Hodges#2490.1

Acrolepiopsis heppneri

This record describes Acrolepiopsis heppneri (species). Recorded family: Glyphipterigidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Acrolepiopsis heppneri - Hodges#2490.1 - Acrolepiopsis heppneri — Contributed by Beatriz Moisset; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz , Chuck Entz , Nick Block , marcie oconnor , Robert H. Biagi

Genitalia: One of two univoltine species of Acrolepiopsis that feed on Smilax tamnoides in Illinois. Unlike A. incertella , which occurs as a larva in early May (central Illinois), the larva of A. heppneri feeds in late summer and early autumn. Both species overwinter in the adult stage. (Comment by Terry Harrison).

Identification notes

Genitalia:

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily: Yponomeutoidea
Family: Glyphipterigidae (Sedge and False Diamondback Moths)
Subfamily: Acrolepiinae
Genus: Acrolepiopsis

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Diet and Behavior

Life History

1.larva 2.caterpillar with lacy cocoon 3.pupa with lacy cocoon 4.adult 5.lifecycle collage including leaf damage

Additional species information

Species notes from the sources

Etymology: Author: Gaedike, 1984.

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Acrolepiopsis heppneri. 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.

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