Unicorn Prominent
Coelodasys unicornis
This record describes Coelodasys unicornis (species). Recorded family: Notodontidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Coelodasys unicornis, the unicorn caterpillar moth, unicorn prominent or variegated prominent, is a species of moth in the family Notodontidae. It was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797 and is found in North America south of the Arctic.
Wikipedia reference for Coelodasys unicornis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelodasys_unicornis.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Notodontidae (Prominent Moths)
- Subfamily
- Heterocampinae
- Tribe
- Heterocampini
- Genus
- Coelodasys
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 Coelodasys unicornis. 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.
