Acrolophus cockerelli - Hodges#0345
Acrolophus cockerelli
This record describes Acrolophus cockerelli (species). Recorded family: Tineidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
[The] moths are in the cockerelli species group and may be that species. To be certain I would need to see a slide of the male genitalia. - Don Davis at the USNM, commenting on the following photo.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Tineoidea
- Family
- Tineidae (Clothes Moths)
- Subfamily
- Acrolophinae
- Genus
- Acrolophus (Tubeworm Moths)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae of Acrolophus typically make silken tubes in the soil and feed at the surface on grass thatch or roots.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Named in honor of zoologist T. D. A. Cockerell (1866–1948).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Acrolophus cockerelli. 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 Acrolophus cockerelli - Hodges#0345 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Randy Hardy; Additional contributions by Maury Heiman
Frequently Asked Questions About Acrolophus cockerelli - Hodges#0345
What is Acrolophus cockerelli - Hodges#0345?
Acrolophus cockerelli - Hodges#0345 (Acrolophus cockerelli) is a species in the family Tineidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Acrolophus cockerelli - Hodges#0345?
Wingspan 16 mm (Dyar, 1900).
How do you identify Acrolophus cockerelli - Hodges#0345?
[The] moths are in the cockerelli species group and may be that species. To be certain I would need to see a slide of the male genitalia. - Don Davis at the USNM, commenting on the following photo.
What does Acrolophus cockerelli - Hodges#0345 eat?
The diet of the Acrolophus cockerelli - Hodges#0345 includes Larvae of Acrolophus typically make silken tubes in the soil and feed at the surface on grass thatch or roots..