Occult Drasteria Moth - Hodges#8619
Drasteria occulta
This record describes Drasteria occulta (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult - the only similar Drasteria in D. occulta's range is D. graphica atlantica, which can be differentiated by the well-defined ST line on the forewings. D. occulta's ST line isn't so much a line as it is a boundary between the darker and lighter brown portions of the wings. Both these species can be equally common at the same locations in coastal pine barrens habitats such as the New Jersey pine barrens.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Erebidae
- Subfamily
- Erebinae
- Tribe
- Melipotini
- Genus
- Drasteria
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Limited to coastal habitats, and it has a fairly limited range from maybe ME to NC.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: blueberry ( Vaccinium ) (Crumb, 1956).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Drasteria occulta. 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 Occult Drasteria Moth - Hodges#8619 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by tom murray; Additional contributions by Robert Lord Zimlich , Randy Hardy , dennepj10
Frequently Asked Questions About Occult Drasteria Moth - Hodges#8619
What is Occult Drasteria Moth - Hodges#8619?
Occult Drasteria Moth - Hodges#8619 (Drasteria occulta) is a species in the family Erebidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Occult Drasteria Moth - Hodges#8619?
Larvae mature to 26 mm (Crumb, 1956).
How do you identify Occult Drasteria Moth - Hodges#8619?
Adult - the only similar Drasteria in D. occulta's range is D. graphica atlantica, which can be differentiated by the well-defined ST line on the forewings. D. occulta's ST line isn't so much a line as it is a boundary between the darker and lighter brown portions of the wings. Both these species can be equally common at the same locations in coastal pine barrens habitats such as the New Jersey pine barrens.
Where is Occult Drasteria Moth - Hodges#8619 found?
Range: Limited to coastal habitats, and it has a fairly limited range from maybe ME to NC.
What does Occult Drasteria Moth - Hodges#8619 eat?
The diet of the Occult Drasteria Moth - Hodges#8619 includes blueberry ( Vaccinium ) (Crumb, 1956)..