Androloma disparata - Hodges#9322
Androloma disparata
This record describes Androloma disparata (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Agaristinae
- Genus
- Androloma
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Central and southern Texas and down along the the eastern third of Mexico to southern Vera Cruz. Within Texas the species is divided into two very distinctive populations; a population occurring along the Rio Grande River, but collected most commonly in the Sabal Palm Grove in Cameron County and a more northerly population best represented by specimens from near Kerrville in Kerr County.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Adult specimens reared by Roy Kendall from Ampelopsis arborea (Vitaceae) (Pepper Vine)
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Androloma disparata. 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 Androloma disparata - Hodges#9322 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Mike Quinn; Additional contributions by Robert H. Biagi