Antispila cornifoliella - Hodges#0232
Antispila cornifoliella
This record describes Antispila cornifoliella (species). Recorded family: Heliozelidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Pupa - see Mosher, 1916 in Print References below. Adult - blackish-brown with metallic markings.
Wikipedia reference for Antispila cornifoliella: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antispila_cornifoliella.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Adeloidea
- Family
- Heliozelidae (Shield Bearer Moths)
- Genus
- Antispila
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Southern Ontario to the Gulf Coast (Lafontaine 1973)
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae feed in blotch mines in the leaves of dogwoods ( Cornus , Cornaceae).
Life History
Like other shield bearers when the mature larva completes feeding in the mine it cuts an oval "shield" from the leaf and attaches it to itself. After finding a suitable location it attaches the leaf shield to the surface with silk and pupates within it.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Cornifoliella is Latin for "dogwood ( Cornus ) leaf."
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Antispila cornifoliella. 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 Antispila cornifoliella - Hodges#0232
What is Antispila cornifoliella - Hodges#0232?
Antispila cornifoliella - Hodges#0232 (Antispila cornifoliella) is a species in the family Heliozelidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Antispila cornifoliella - Hodges#0232?
Forewing lengths in this genus are less than 3 mm.
How do you identify Antispila cornifoliella - Hodges#0232?
Pupa - see Mosher, 1916 in Print References below. Adult - blackish-brown with metallic markings.
Where is Antispila cornifoliella - Hodges#0232 found?
Range: Southern Ontario to the Gulf Coast (Lafontaine 1973)
What does Antispila cornifoliella - Hodges#0232 eat?
The diet of the Antispila cornifoliella - Hodges#0232 includes Larvae feed in blotch mines in the leaves of dogwoods ( Cornus , Cornaceae)..
What is the life cycle of a Antispila cornifoliella - Hodges#0232?
Like other shield bearers when the mature larva completes feeding in the mine it cuts an oval shield from the leaf and attaches it to itself. After finding a suitable location it attaches the leaf shield to the surface with silk and pupates within it.