Pink Star Moth - Hodges#11055
Derrima stellata
This record describes Derrima stellata (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Species complex ; true stellata is restricted to the East Coast
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Heliothinae
- Genus
- Derrima
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Widespread in eastern USA, ME-FL, west to MO-TX ; few records from mid-Atlantic (MD, VA, NC, SC), see records here, MPG , and iNaturalist ; two old records from NC mountains ( Moths of NC )
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Pinweed, Lechea species (Malvales:Cistaceae), see The Caterpillar Lab's Facebook post for 1 September 2024 , and a follow up story in Northern Woodlands .
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Derrima stellata. 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 Pink Star Moth - Hodges#11055 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by tom murray; Additional contributions by cotinis , marcie oconnor , Blocky
Frequently Asked Questions About Pink Star Moth - Hodges#11055
What is Pink Star Moth - Hodges#11055?
Pink Star Moth - Hodges#11055 (Derrima stellata) is a species in the family Noctuidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Pink Star Moth - Hodges#11055 found?
Range: Widespread in eastern USA, ME-FL, west to MO-TX ; few records from mid-Atlantic (MD, VA, NC, SC), see records here, MPG , and iNaturalist ; two old records from NC mountains ( Moths of NC )
What does Pink Star Moth - Hodges#11055 eat?
The diet of the Pink Star Moth - Hodges#11055 includes Pinweed, Lechea species (Malvales:Cistaceae), see The Caterpillar Lab's Facebook post for 1 September 2024 , and a follow up story in Northern Woodlands ..