Chionodes rabula - Hodges#2111.1
Chionodes rabula
This record describes Chionodes rabula (species). Recorded family: Gelechiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Chionodes rabula can be recognized by the combination of small size and vaguely striate forewing color pattern, particularly the faint, oblique gray fascia at 1/3 the wing length immediately preceded by a pale-yellow area .
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
Records from Burlington County, New Jersey and Green County, Ohio, south to Dade County, Florida and Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana .
Seasonal Activity
Adults have been collected 16 June-25 August in the North, 4 April-7 August in South Carolina, and 2 February-19 September in Florida .
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Narrow-leaved Cattail ( Typha angustifolia ) .
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: The specific epithet rabula , rabulae is a Latin masculine noun meaning "a wrangling lawyer."
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Chionodes rabula. 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 rabula - Hodges#2111.1 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Kyhl Austin; Additional contributions by Tony-2
Frequently Asked Questions About Chionodes rabula - Hodges#2111.1
What is Chionodes rabula - Hodges#2111.1?
Chionodes rabula - Hodges#2111.1 (Chionodes rabula) is a species in the family Gelechiidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Chionodes rabula - Hodges#2111.1?
Forewing length: 4.0-6.2 mm.
How do you identify Chionodes rabula - Hodges#2111.1?
Chionodes rabula can be recognized by the combination of small size and vaguely striate forewing color pattern, particularly the faint, oblique gray fascia at 1/3 the wing length immediately preceded by a pale-yellow area .
Where is Chionodes rabula - Hodges#2111.1 found?
Range: Records from Burlington County, New Jersey and Green County, Ohio, south to Dade County, Florida and Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana .
What does Chionodes rabula - Hodges#2111.1 eat?
The diet of the Chionodes rabula - Hodges#2111.1 includes Narrow-leaved Cattail ( Typha angustifolia ) ..
When is Chionodes rabula - Hodges#2111.1 active?
Chionodes rabula - Hodges#2111.1: seasonal activity - Adults have been collected 16 June-25 August in the North, 4 April-7 August in South Carolina, and 2 February-19 September in Florida ..