Aetole bella - Hodges#2497
Aetole bella
This record describes Aetole bella (species). Recorded family: Heliodinidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Yponomeutoidea
- Family
- Heliodinidae (Sun Moths)
- Genus
- Aetole
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Kansas and Colorado through the southwest, Texas and Florida
Diet and Behavior
Life History
larvae mine in leaves or opportunistically into stems or cecidomylid (Diptera) galls or feed from external silk net in later instars, and pupation occurs outside the mine
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Aetole bella. 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 Aetole bella - Hodges#2497 (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Sean McCann; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset , David Ferguson , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Aetole bella - Hodges#2497
How big is Aetole bella - Hodges#2497?
forewing length 3 - 4.5 mm
Where is Aetole bella - Hodges#2497 found?
Range: Kansas and Colorado through the southwest, Texas and Florida
What is the life cycle of a Aetole bella - Hodges#2497?
larvae mine in leaves or opportunistically into stems or cecidomylid (Diptera) galls or feed from external silk net in later instars, and pupation occurs outside the mine