Artace colaria - Hodges#7684
Artace colaria
This record describes Artace colaria (species). Recorded family: Lasiocampidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Larva - red-brown, closely matching the color of manzanita stems.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Lasiocampoidea
- Family
- Lasiocampidae (Tent Caterpillar and Lappet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Poecilocampinae
- Genus
- Artace
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Known only from the mountains of southeastern Arizona but may also occur in adjacent New Mexico and Mexico. Type locality: Madera Canyon, Santa Cruz County, Arizona.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: McFarland reports the larval host as pointleaf manzanita ( Arctostaphylos pungens Kunth, Ericaceae).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Artace colaria. 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 Artace colaria - Hodges#7684 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Bob Patterson; Additional contributions by ceiseman , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Artace colaria - Hodges#7684
What is Artace colaria - Hodges#7684?
Artace colaria - Hodges#7684 (Artace colaria) is a species in the family Lasiocampidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Artace colaria - Hodges#7684?
Forewing length: ♂ 15 mm, ♀ 23 mm.
How do you identify Artace colaria - Hodges#7684?
Larva - red-brown, closely matching the color of manzanita stems.
Where is Artace colaria - Hodges#7684 found?
Range: Known only from the mountains of southeastern Arizona but may also occur in adjacent New Mexico and Mexico. Type locality: Madera Canyon, Santa Cruz County, Arizona.
What does Artace colaria - Hodges#7684 eat?
The diet of the Artace colaria - Hodges#7684 includes McFarland reports the larval host as pointleaf manzanita ( Arctostaphylos pungens Kunth, Ericaceae)..