Blastobasis floridella - Hodges#1160
Blastobasis floridella
This record describes Blastobasis floridella (species). Recorded family: Blastobasidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Original description is available online in the print references below. See Dietze (1910). Identifications at BOLD ( 5 ) are based on CNCLEP00025516 in BIN group BOLD:AAB1097 , which was dissected and tentatively identified by David Adamski. However, it was not reared and it does not match the lectotype or does it match the original description and illustration. David Adamski (pers. comm., 2024) has implied that without host, identification is uncertain. BOLD:AAB1097 might refer to Blastobasis pulchella . The specimens match the description and DNA barcode places it as the nearest BIN group to CNCLEP00105947, a paratype of pulchella .
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Gelechioidea
- Family
- Blastobasidae (Scavenger Moths)
- Subfamily
- Blastobasinae
- Tribe
- Blastobasini
- Genus
- Blastobasis
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Southeastern U.S. Holotype ♂, Crescent City, Florida, 4-VI-1895. ( 4 ) Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data. ( 3 )
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larval host is Zamia pumila L., [syn. Zamia integrifolia ] Alton
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Blastobasis floridella. 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 Blastobasis floridella - Hodges#1160
What is Blastobasis floridella - Hodges#1160?
Blastobasis floridella - Hodges#1160 (Blastobasis floridella) is a species in the family Blastobasidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Blastobasis floridella - Hodges#1160?
Wingspan 11-16 mm.
How do you identify Blastobasis floridella - Hodges#1160?
Original description is available online in the print references below.
Where is Blastobasis floridella - Hodges#1160 found?
Range: Southeastern U.S. Holotype ♂, Crescent City, Florida, 4-VI-1895. ( 4 ) Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data. ( 3 )
What does Blastobasis floridella - Hodges#1160 eat?
The diet of the Blastobasis floridella - Hodges#1160 includes Larval host is Zamia pumila L., [syn. Zamia integrifolia ] Alton.