Anisota manitobensis - Hodges#7717
Anisota manitobensis
This record describes Anisota manitobensis (species). Recorded family: Saturniidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Similar to Anisota stigma, but dark speckling is reduced or absent and the wings are generally a bit narrower (males) and with more contrasting pink shading (both sexes). A very rarely reported saturniid, records are very sparse and primarily pre 1970s.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Bombycoidea
- Family
- Saturniidae (Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths)
- Subfamily
- Ceratocampinae
- Genus
- Anisota
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Southern Manitoba, Canada, and North Dakota(?). Possibly as far south as Nebraska if the specimen here on BugGuide is correctly identified.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Anisota manitobensis. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anisota manitobensis - Hodges#7717
What is Anisota manitobensis - Hodges#7717?
Anisota manitobensis - Hodges#7717 (Anisota manitobensis) is a species in the family Saturniidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Anisota manitobensis - Hodges#7717?
Similar to Anisota stigma, but dark speckling is reduced or absent and the wings are generally a bit narrower (males) and with more contrasting pink shading (both sexes).
Where is Anisota manitobensis - Hodges#7717 found?
Range: Southern Manitoba, Canada, and North Dakota(?). Possibly as far south as Nebraska if the specimen here on BugGuide is correctly identified.