Pink-masked Pyralid Moth - Hodges#5512
Aglossa disciferalis
This record describes Aglossa disciferalis (species). Recorded family: Pyralidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Original description (Dyar, 1908, p. 98): Fore wing reddish ocherous, irrorate with blackish; costal edge blackish except where cut by the lines; discal spot large, blackish, sub-quadrate; lines ocherous, slightly intensified on the costa, strongly edged toward the median space with blackish, the inner slightly angled on median vein and produced inward on submedian fold, the outer mesially excurved obscurely dentate; a row of black points at the base of the fringe. Hind wing ocherous, reddish shaded, usually with an extra mesial dark line and row of dots in the fringe. Expanse, 16 to 23 mm. Allied to [Pyralis] constiferalis Walker, but the costal markings are not more developed than the cross-lines. Especially the basal costal mark does not exceed the subcostal vein, whereas in costiferalis it extends to the median vein.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Pyraloidea
- Family
- Pyralidae (Pyralid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Pyralinae
- Tribe
- Pyralini
- Genus
- Aglossa
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Most of eastern U.S. and Canada, west to central Oklahoma and central Texas. Described originally from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Texas.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Aglossa disciferalis. 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 Pink-masked Pyralid Moth - Hodges#5512 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by tom murray; Additional contributions by anitagould , Maury Heiman , Chuck Sexton
Frequently Asked Questions About Pink-masked Pyralid Moth - Hodges#5512
What is Pink-masked Pyralid Moth - Hodges#5512?
Pink-masked Pyralid Moth - Hodges#5512 (Aglossa disciferalis) is a species in the family Pyralidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Pink-masked Pyralid Moth - Hodges#5512?
MPG specimen wingspan 18 mm
How do you identify Pink-masked Pyralid Moth - Hodges#5512?
Original description (Dyar, 1908, p. 98): Fore wing reddish ocherous, irrorate with blackish; costal edge blackish except where cut by the lines; discal spot large, blackish, sub-quadrate; lines ocherous, slightly intensified on the costa, strongly edged toward the median space with blackish, the inner slightly angled on median vein and produced inward on submedian fold, the outer mesially excurved obscurely dentate; a row of black points at the base of the fringe. Hind wing ocherous, reddish shaded, usually with an extra mesial dark line and row of dots in the fringe. Expanse, 16 to 23 mm. Allied to [Pyralis] constiferalis Walker, but the costal markings are not more developed than the cross-lines. Especially the basal costal mark does not exceed the subcostal vein, whereas in costiferalis it extends to the median vein.
Where is Pink-masked Pyralid Moth - Hodges#5512 found?
Range: Most of eastern U.S. and Canada, west to central Oklahoma and central Texas. Described originally from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Texas.