Cauchas sedella - Hodges#0214
Cauchas sedella
This record describes Cauchas sedella (species). Recorded family: Adelidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Additional details | Original description: Incurvaria [now Cauchas] sedella n. sp. Labial palpi yellow with black terminal point and black setae. |
| Antennae | Antennae bronzy black with white tips. Face and head yellowish white. |
| Thorax | Thorax dark bronzy brown. |
| Forewings | Forewings dark bronzy brown with a white transverse fascia at apical third; cilia ‘bronze. |
| Hindwings | Hindwings dark purple with basal half of costa silvery white; cilia dark golden purple. |
| Abdomen | Abdomen dark purplish brown. |
| Legs | Legs silvery, shaded with dark purple. Alar expanse: 9 mm. Habitat: Boulder, Colo., T. D. A. Cockerell, collector. Type: Cat. No. 19289, U. S. N. M. Taken by Prof. Cockerell on Sedum. |
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Adeloidea
- Family
- Adelidae (Fairy Moths)
- Subfamily
- Adelinae
- Genus
- Cauchas
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Cauchas sedella. 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 Cauchas sedella - Hodges#0214 (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Chris Grinter