Chrysoecia gladiola - Hodges#9763
Chrysoecia gladiola
This record describes Chrysoecia gladiola (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Forewing | Forewing, at base, beyond subterminal line and a large oval patch in the center below costa, creamy-white. Remainder of wing dark olive green -brown, with an admixture of violet and paler olive green and yellow scales. Ordinary lines not distinctly marked. Basal portion of wing is creamy white except along costa, where it is of the same shade as the median portion of wing. The reniform is present at outer edge of oval white patch, though not very plainly marked. It is pale-ringed, with dark center, narrow and upright. Indications of a row of terminal black intravenular dots. Fringe white. Hind wings blackish-brown, with faint indications of mesial band and discal dot. Fringe white. Beneath, fore wings blackish, with central yellowish patch, yellowish along costa. Hind wings yellowish-white, with dusky mesial band. Collar yellowish at base, remainder of collar, patagia and thorax white. |
| Thorax | Thorax posteriorly with some olive green and violet scales. Type location: Santa Catalina Mts., Ariz. |
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Stiriinae
- Tribe
- Stiriini
- Genus
- Chrysoecia
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 Chrysoecia gladiola. 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 Chrysoecia gladiola - Hodges#9763 (4)
Photo credits: Contributed by Kyhl Austin
Frequently Asked Questions About Chrysoecia gladiola - Hodges#9763
What is Chrysoecia gladiola - Hodges#9763?
Chrysoecia gladiola - Hodges#9763 (Chrysoecia gladiola) is a species in the family Noctuidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Chrysoecia gladiola - Hodges#9763?
Expanse: 28 mm.
How do you identify Chrysoecia gladiola - Hodges#9763?
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Forewing | Forewing, at base, beyond subterminal line and a large oval patch in the center below costa, creamy-white. Remainder of wing dark olive green -brown, with an admixture of violet and paler olive green and yellow scales. Ordinary lines not distinctly marked. Basal portion of wing is creamy white except along costa, where it is of the same shade as the median portion of wing. The reniform is present at outer edge of oval white patch, though not very plainly marked. It is pale-ringed, with dark center, narrow and upright. Indications of a row of terminal black intravenular dots. Fringe white. Hind wings blackish-brown, with faint indications of mesial band and discal dot. Fringe white. Beneath, fore wings blackish, with central yellowish patch, yellowish along costa. Hind wings yellowish-white, with dusky mesial band. Collar yellowish at base, remainder of collar, patagia and thorax white. |
| Thorax | Thorax posteriorly with some olive green and violet scales. |