Bucculatrix longula - Hodges#0489
Bucculatrix longula
This record describes Bucculatrix longula (species). Recorded family: Bucculatricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
The original description is available in PDF or view online in the print references below.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Gracillarioidea
- Family
- Bucculatricidae (Ribbed Cocoon-maker Moths)
- Genus
- Bucculatrix
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Possibly restricted to western North America. Scattered records from eastern California, Utah, Washington, and Texas. , Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae have been reared on Helianthus annuus L. (sunflower).
Life History
The larvae are a gall-causing species, and the group is known as "ribbed cocoon makers". The cocoons have lengthwise ribs.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Bucculatrix longula. 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 Bucculatrix longula - Hodges#0489 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Maury J. Heiman
Frequently Asked Questions About Bucculatrix longula - Hodges#0489
What is Bucculatrix longula - Hodges#0489?
Bucculatrix longula - Hodges#0489 (Bucculatrix longula) is a species in the family Bucculatricidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Bucculatrix longula - Hodges#0489?
Forewing length 5-5.5 mm.
How do you identify Bucculatrix longula - Hodges#0489?
The original description is available in PDF or view online in the print references below.
Where is Bucculatrix longula - Hodges#0489 found?
Range: Possibly restricted to western North America. Scattered records from eastern California, Utah, Washington, and Texas. , Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data.
What does Bucculatrix longula - Hodges#0489 eat?
The diet of the Bucculatrix longula - Hodges#0489 includes Larvae have been reared on Helianthus annuus L. (sunflower)..
What is the life cycle of a Bucculatrix longula - Hodges#0489?
The larvae are a gall-causing species, and the group is known as ribbed cocoon makers. The cocoons have lengthwise ribs.