Cosipara modulalis - Hodges#4706
Cosipara modulalis
This record describes Cosipara modulalis (species). Recorded family: Crambidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
This species occurs in two color forms, with some variation and a small proportion of intergrades. One form is closely similar in appearance to C. tricoloralis , though it tends to be somewhat narrower-winged and is less variegated. In particular the warm brown tints of the discal area of the forewing of C. tricoloralis are largely replaced by gray, often of a pallid ashy shade in C. modulalis . The second form is in its extreme manifestation very different. The whole disc of the forewing is heavily suffused with blackish fuscous, leaving the base contrastingly pale ashy gray. In the terminal area the usual three dark triangular patches appear more or less distinctly on a pale-gray ground. Type locality: Greer, White Mountains, Apache County, Arizona. The dark form appears to be more numerous in the female sex than in the male and is more numerous in the southern part of the range than in the north.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Pyraloidea
- Family
- Crambidae (Crambid Snout Moths)
- Subfamily
- Scopariinae
- Genus
- Cosipara
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Records from Arizona and Colorado.
Seasonal Activity
Records from July and August.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Cosipara modulalis. 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 Cosipara modulalis - Hodges#4706 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Kyhl Austin
Frequently Asked Questions About Cosipara modulalis - Hodges#4706
What is Cosipara modulalis - Hodges#4706?
Cosipara modulalis - Hodges#4706 (Cosipara modulalis) is a species in the family Crambidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Cosipara modulalis - Hodges#4706?
This species occurs in two color forms, with some variation and a small proportion of intergrades. One form is closely similar in appearance to C. tricoloralis , though it tends to be somewhat narrower-winged and is less variegated. In particular the warm brown tints of the discal area of the forewing of C. tricoloralis are largely replaced by gray, often of a pallid ashy shade in C. modulalis . The second form is in its extreme manifestation very different. The whole disc of the forewing is heavily suffused with blackish fuscous, leaving the base contrastingly pale ashy gray. In the terminal area the usual three dark triangular patches appear more or less distinctly on a pale-gray ground.
Where is Cosipara modulalis - Hodges#4706 found?
Range: Records from Arizona and Colorado.
When is Cosipara modulalis - Hodges#4706 active?
Cosipara modulalis - Hodges#4706: seasonal activity - Records from July and August..