Milky Urola - Hodges#5463
Argyria lacteella
This record describes Argyria lacteella (species). Recorded family: Crambidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult: forewing white with orange fringe; medial line faint, consisting mainly of a small dark spot at costa and at inner margin, plus a third dark spot halfway between these two; a fourth dark spot usually present where PM line meets costa; hindwing white, translucent, unmarked; face white; top of head orange or yellow
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Pyraloidea
- Family
- Crambidae (Crambid Snout Moths)
- Subfamily
- Crambinae
- Tribe
- Argyriini
- Genus
- Argyria
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
USA: FL. Type locality ( lacteella ): "Americae meridionalis arboretis". Lectotype ( lacteella ): “Americae insulis” [USA Virgin Island of Saint Croix; see Landry et al. (2023)]. Type locality ( pusillalis , syn.): "Baltimora [Baltimore, MD]". Type locality ( abronalis ): Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. Type locality ( lusella ): St. Thomas Island [USA Virgin Islands]. Type locality ( vestalis ): Jamaica. Type locality ( multifacta ): Panama, Porto Bello.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Reported on Phaseolus lunatus (Fabaceae)
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: LACTEELLA: from the Latin "lac, lactis" (milk); probably refers to the white color of the forewing Argyria lacteella (Fabricius, 1794) in the US is restricted to Florida and includes as synonyms lusella Zeller, 1863, vestalis Butler, 1878 and multifacta Dyar, 1914 in Landry et al. (2023).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Argyria lacteella. 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 Milky Urola - Hodges#5463 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robin McLeod; Additional contributions by cotinis , Steve Nanz , Beatriz Moisset , Joshua Stuart Rose , Maury Heiman , Robert Lord Zimlich , Fyn Kynd
Frequently Asked Questions About Milky Urola - Hodges#5463
What is Milky Urola - Hodges#5463?
Milky Urola - Hodges#5463 (Argyria lacteella) is a species in the family Crambidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Milky Urola - Hodges#5463?
Adult: forewing white with orange fringe; medial line faint, consisting mainly of a small dark spot at costa and at inner margin, plus a third dark spot halfway between these two; a fourth dark spot usually present where PM line meets costa; hindwing white, translucent, unmarked; face white; top of head orange or yellow
Where is Milky Urola - Hodges#5463 found?
Range: USA: FL. Type locality ( lacteella ): Americae meridionalis arboretis. Lectotype ( lacteella ): Americae insulis [USA Virgin Island of Saint Croix; see Landry et al. (2023)]. Type locality ( pusillalis , syn.): Baltimora [Baltimore, MD]. Type locality ( abronalis ): Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. Type locality ( lusella ): St. Thomas Island [USA Virgin Islands]. Type locality ( vestalis ): Jamaica. Type locality ( multifacta ): Panama, Porto Bello.
What does Milky Urola - Hodges#5463 eat?
The diet of the Milky Urola - Hodges#5463 includes Reported on Phaseolus lunatus (Fabaceae).