Catocala delilah - Hodges#8835
Catocala delilah
This record describes Catocala delilah (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Erebidae
- Subfamily
- Erebinae
- Tribe
- Catocalini
- Genus
- Catocala (Underwings)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Type locality: [Dallas], Texas (Mr. J. Boll ). , ,
Seasonal Activity
South-central Texas to Kansas, and eastward (mostly coastally) to Florida. Records from Texas, Oklohoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Florida. ( 7 )
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Oaks; Quercus virginiana in Texas and Florida, Q. laurifolia and Q. fusiformis in Texas. ( 7 )
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet from the Hebrew bible, Delilah meaning "faithless one," who famously cut Samson's hair.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Catocala delilah. 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 Catocala delilah - Hodges#8835 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Jason D. Roberts; Additional contributions by marcie oconnor , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Catocala delilah - Hodges#8835
How big is Catocala delilah - Hodges#8835?
Forewing length 27.1-30.5 mm. ( 7 )
Where is Catocala delilah - Hodges#8835 found?
Range: Type locality: [Dallas], Texas (Mr. J. Boll ). , ,
What does Catocala delilah - Hodges#8835 eat?
The diet of the Catocala delilah - Hodges#8835 includes Oaks; Quercus virginiana in Texas and Florida, Q. laurifolia and Q. fusiformis in Texas. ( 7 ).
When is Catocala delilah - Hodges#8835 active?
Catocala delilah - Hodges#8835: seasonal activity - South-central Texas to Kansas, and eastward (mostly coastally) to Florida. Records from Texas, Oklohoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Florida. ( 7 ).