Chionodes abitus - Hodges#2061.2
Chionodes abitus
This record describes Chionodes abitus (species). Recorded family: Gelechiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Three specimens from Ottawa, Ontario area are excluded from the type series because they are highly disjunct from other populations... The pattern of dark spots on the forewing is reduced but present. This statement seems to imply that the Northeast population which Hodges treats as Chionodes abitus could be a separate species.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Gelechioidea
- Family
- Gelechiidae (Twirler Moths)
- Subfamily
- Gelechiinae
- Tribe
- Gelechiini
- Genus
- Chionodes
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
BC to ID, MT and mountains south to southern CA. SK, ON, QC, CA, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA (R.W. Hodges). Type locality: Modoc Co., CA.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Chionodes abitus. 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 Chionodes abitus - Hodges#2061.2 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by tom murray; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz