Delicate Silver Y - Hodges#8913
Autographa pseudogamma
This record describes Autographa pseudogamma (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Plusiinae
- Tribe
- Plusiini
- Genus
- Autographa
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
In the north and east it ranges from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, north to Alaska; south to Maine, Michigan, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming (Eichlin & Cunningham, 1978). In the west it ranges into the central Sierra Nevada mountains, northeastern Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico (Powell & Opler, 2009).
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae are generalist feeders on herbaceous plants. Adults have been observed nectaring at fireweed blossoms (E.H. Strickland Museum).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Autographa pseudogamma. 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 Delicate Silver Y - Hodges#8913 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Ian Maton; Additional contributions by Maury Heiman , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Delicate Silver Y - Hodges#8913
How big is Delicate Silver Y - Hodges#8913?
Powell & Opler (2009) listed the forewing length 17-18 mm. ( 3 )
Where is Delicate Silver Y - Hodges#8913 found?
Range: In the north and east it ranges from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, north to Alaska; south to Maine, Michigan, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming (Eichlin & Cunningham, 1978). In the west it ranges into the central Sierra Nevada mountains, northeastern Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico (Powell & Opler, 2009).
What does Delicate Silver Y - Hodges#8913 eat?
The diet of the Delicate Silver Y - Hodges#8913 includes Larvae are generalist feeders on herbaceous plants. Adults have been observed nectaring at fireweed blossoms (E.H. Strickland Museum)..