Dichomeris washingtoniella - Hodges#2306
Dichomeris washingtoniella
This record describes Dichomeris washingtoniella (species). Recorded family: Gelechiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Gelechioidea
- Family
- Gelechiidae (Twirler Moths)
- Subfamily
- Dichomeridinae
- Genus
- Dichomeris
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Scattered records from Maine to Mississippi, absent from the southeast, west as far as Oklahoma and Kansas, north to Illinois and Indiana. , Hollotype ♂ collected Putnam County, Illinois (no date).
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larval hosts are mostly asters including annual ragweed ( Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.), Missouri ironweed ( Vernonia missurica Raf.), thoroughwort ( Eupatorium L.) as well as willowherb ( Epilobium L., Onagraceae). ( 4 )
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific name washingtoniella from Washington, D.C., where some of the first specimens were collected.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Dichomeris washingtoniella. 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 Dichomeris washingtoniella - Hodges#2306 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by tom murray; Additional contributions by Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Dichomeris washingtoniella - Hodges#2306
How big is Dichomeris washingtoniella - Hodges#2306?
Wingspan 16 mm (Busck, 1906).
Where is Dichomeris washingtoniella - Hodges#2306 found?
Range: Scattered records from Maine to Mississippi, absent from the southeast, west as far as Oklahoma and Kansas, north to Illinois and Indiana. , Hollotype ♂ collected Putnam County, Illinois (no date).
What does Dichomeris washingtoniella - Hodges#2306 eat?
The diet of the Dichomeris washingtoniella - Hodges#2306 includes Larval hosts are mostly asters including annual ragweed ( Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.), Missouri ironweed ( Vernonia missurica Raf.), thoroughwort ( Eupatorium L.) as well as willowherb ( Epilobium L., Onagraceae). ( 4 ).