Cecrita cubana - Hodges#7984
Cecrita cubana
This record describes Cecrita cubana (species). Recorded family: Notodontidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
See Miller et al. (2021) ( 3 ) The original description is online in the print references below. Determined by Bob Patterson.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Notodontidae (Prominent Moths)
- Subfamily
- Heterocampinae
- Genus
- Cecrita
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Florida and Cuba. ( 5 ) , ( 6 ) Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data. Type locality: Cuba.
Seasonal Activity
Heppner (2003) reported adults in all months except June and August in Florida. ( 6 )
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larval host is unknown. ( 6 )
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Cecrita cubana (Grote, 1866), n. comb. in Miller et al. (2021) ( 3 ) , was formerly placed in the genus Skaphita in Becker (2014) ( 4 ) who transferred it from Heterocampa .
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Cecrita cubana. 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 Cecrita cubana - Hodges#7984 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Maury J. Heiman; Additional contributions by john and jane balaban , Steve Nanz
Frequently Asked Questions About Cecrita cubana - Hodges#7984
What is Cecrita cubana - Hodges#7984?
Cecrita cubana - Hodges#7984 (Cecrita cubana) is a species in the family Notodontidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Cecrita cubana - Hodges#7984?
See Miller et al. (2021) ( 3 ) The original description is online in the print references below. Determined by Bob Patterson.
Where is Cecrita cubana - Hodges#7984 found?
Range: Florida and Cuba. ( 5 ) , ( 6 ) Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data. Type locality: Cuba.
What does Cecrita cubana - Hodges#7984 eat?
The diet of the Cecrita cubana - Hodges#7984 includes Larval host is unknown. ( 6 ).
When is Cecrita cubana - Hodges#7984 active?
Cecrita cubana - Hodges#7984: seasonal activity - Heppner (2003) reported adults in all months except June and August in Florida. ( 6 ).