Catocala ophelia - Hodges#8854
Catocala ophelia
This record describes Catocala ophelia (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: Mendocino County, California (Mr. O. Baron ). ( 4 )
Diet and Behavior
Diet: California white oak ( Quercus lobata ), black oak ( Quercus kelloggii ), burr oak ( Quercus macrocarpa ), canyon live oak ( Quercus chrysolepis ). ( 6 )
Life History
Adult; young larva; older larva
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Ophelia, former lover of Hamlet, is a character from Shakespeare's play Hamlet . Henry Edwards is known to use Shakespearean female characters when naming insects.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Catocala ophelia. 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 ophelia - Hodges#8854 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by tom murray; Additional contributions by marcie oconnor , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Catocala ophelia - Hodges#8854
Where is Catocala ophelia - Hodges#8854 found?
Range: Type locality: Mendocino County, California (Mr. O. Baron ). ( 4 )
What does Catocala ophelia - Hodges#8854 eat?
The diet of the Catocala ophelia - Hodges#8854 includes California white oak ( Quercus lobata ), black oak ( Quercus kelloggii ), burr oak ( Quercus macrocarpa ), canyon live oak ( Quercus chrysolepis ). ( 6 ).
What is the life cycle of a Catocala ophelia - Hodges#8854?
Adult; young larva; older larva