Yellow-headed Lichen Moth - Hodges#8053
Crambidia cephalica
This record describes Crambidia cephalica (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Erebidae
- Subfamily
- Arctiinae
- Tribe
- Lithosiini
- Genus
- Crambidia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Central Nevada, Utah and Wyoming south to Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas (Powell & Opler, 2009). Moth Photographers Group shows several records in and around Kentucky and Tennessee, and as far north as Alberta, Canada. BAMONA shows records records into Florida. Covell reports that specimens from West Virgina, North Carolina, and Kentucky may belong to this or an unnamed species. BugGuide has one record for New Jersey (det. Chris Schmidt).
Seasonal Activity
Adults fly March through September. Multiple broods (Powell & Opler, 2009).
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae presumably feed on lichens and algae like other Lithosiini.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: cephalica is derived from Latin cephalicus meaning "relating to the head", perhaps a reference to the yellow head.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Crambidia cephalica. 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 Yellow-headed Lichen Moth - Hodges#8053 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robin McLeod; Additional contributions by cotinis , Randy Hardy , Kyhl Austin
Frequently Asked Questions About Yellow-headed Lichen Moth - Hodges#8053
How big is Yellow-headed Lichen Moth - Hodges#8053?
forewing length 9-15 mm (Powell & Opler, 2009)
Where is Yellow-headed Lichen Moth - Hodges#8053 found?
Range: Central Nevada, Utah and Wyoming south to Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas (Powell & Opler, 2009). Moth Photographers Group shows several records in and around Kentucky and Tennessee, and as far north as Alberta, Canada. BAMONA shows records records into Florida. Covell reports that specimens from West Virgina, North Carolina, and Kentucky may belong to this or an unnamed species. BugGuide has one record for New Jersey (det. Chris Schmidt).
What does Yellow-headed Lichen Moth - Hodges#8053 eat?
The diet of the Yellow-headed Lichen Moth - Hodges#8053 includes Larvae presumably feed on lichens and algae like other Lithosiini..
When is Yellow-headed Lichen Moth - Hodges#8053 active?
Yellow-headed Lichen Moth - Hodges#8053: seasonal activity - Adults fly March through September. Multiple broods (Powell & Opler, 2009)..