Luciana Underwing - Hodges#8808
Catocala luciana
This record describes Catocala luciana (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
The western prairies of Canada and the United States. Type locality: Colorado. ,
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larval hosts are cottonwood ( Populus ) and willow ( Salix ). ( 8 ) , ( 11 )
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet from Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors . Luciana is Adriana’s sister, and dwells with her and Antipholus of Epheseus. "The name luciana has generally been ascribed to Hy. Edwards but, unfortunately, the rules of nomenclature demand that this species along with mariana, hippolyta, cleopatra, and perdital (all described in the same paper) be credited to Strecker who drew up descriptions, using Hy. Edwards' manuscript names, and published them prior to the appearance of Hy. Edwards' descriptions in No. 14 of his Pacific Coast Lepidoptera. This procedure is somewhat of an injustice to Hy. Edwards and throws no very creditable light on Strecker's methods, but we imagine that "Time, the great healer," whom Mr. Strecker was so fond of invoking, has already smoothed over any ill-feeling that might have arisen in this connection." ( 5 ) Actor and entomologist Henry Edwards (1827–1891) used many female characters from Shakespeare for insect names.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Catocala luciana. 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 Luciana Underwing - Hodges#8808 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Jason D. Roberts; Additional contributions by marcie oconnor , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Luciana Underwing - Hodges#8808
How big is Luciana Underwing - Hodges#8808?
Wingspan 57-70 mm. ( 8 )
Where is Luciana Underwing - Hodges#8808 found?
Range: The western prairies of Canada and the United States. Type locality: Colorado. ,
What does Luciana Underwing - Hodges#8808 eat?
The diet of the Luciana Underwing - Hodges#8808 includes Larval hosts are cottonwood ( Populus ) and willow ( Salix ). ( 8 ) , ( 11 ).