Southern Ugly-nest Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#3662
Archips rileyana
This record describes Archips rileyana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance

Adult - spots variable, see MPG . - fairly typical form
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Tortricoidea
- Family
- Tortricidae (Tortricid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Tortricinae
- Tribe
- Archipini
- Genus
- Archips
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Mississippi Valley to central Texas.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larval hosts are buckeye ( Aesculus , Hippocastanaceae) and hickory ( Carya , Juglandaceae).
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Patronym for famed entomologist Charles Valentine Riley (1843–1895).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Archips rileyana. 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 Southern Ugly-nest Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#3662 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Graham Montgomery; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz , Mike Quinn , Nick Block , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Southern Ugly-nest Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#3662
What is Southern Ugly-nest Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#3662?
Southern Ugly-nest Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#3662 (Archips rileyana) is a species in the family Tortricidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Southern Ugly-nest Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#3662?
Wingspan 28 mm (Grote, 1868).
How do you identify Southern Ugly-nest Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#3662?
Adult - spots variable, see MPG . - fairly typical form
Where is Southern Ugly-nest Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#3662 found?
Range: Mississippi Valley to central Texas.
What does Southern Ugly-nest Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#3662 eat?
The diet of the Southern Ugly-nest Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#3662 includes Larval hosts are buckeye ( Aesculus , Hippocastanaceae) and hickory ( Carya , Juglandaceae)..
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