Dyspyralis nigellus - Hodges#8428
Dyspyralis nigellus
This record describes Dyspyralis nigellus (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Head | Head and thorax dark purplish brown. Antenna: Simple, reaches to about mid-wing. |
| Thorax | Head and thorax dark purplish brown. Wings: Forewings: Dark brown, purplish sheen. Jagged black line near base (a.m. line). No orbicular spot. Cream arc in reniform spot. A cream and black jagged intermittent line through middle of wing (median line), dips around the reniform spot. Another faint cream and black jagged line just below the mid line (p.m. line). Main ID 5 white dashes on outside edge (costa) from median line to tip. Wing tip (terminal line) dark scalloped line, may have white scale mixed in. Fringe same color as wing background. Note: white scales more numerous on older moths. Hindwings: Smoky gray to brownish with faint sub-marginal line and a discal spot. |
| Legs | Brownish, feet white striped. Long spur on middle shin (tibiae). |
| Abdomen | Abdomen lighter brown than head and thorax. Male has a black tuft on top side at the base of the abdomen. Pogue description in PDF. Genitalia: Beadle & Leckie reported Dyspyralis nigellus as uncommon. Holotype as Epizeuxis nigellus by Strecker, 1900. Locality: Illinois. In Strecker Collection at the American Museum of Natural History, Manhattan, New York. |
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Erebidae
- Subfamily
- Hypenodinae
- Genus
- Dyspyralis
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Quebec and Ontario to Nova Scotia and south to Texas and Georgia. , Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data. Beadle & Leckie map show the northeastern United States.
Seasonal Activity
The main flight period appears to June to August with records from April to November. ( 3 )
Diet and Behavior
Diet: The larval host is unknown. ,
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Dyspyralis nigellus. 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 Dyspyralis nigellus - Hodges#8428 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Maury J. Heiman; Additional contributions by lee_penner , Robert H. Biagi
Frequently Asked Questions About Dyspyralis nigellus - Hodges#8428
What is Dyspyralis nigellus - Hodges#8428?
Dyspyralis nigellus - Hodges#8428 (Dyspyralis nigellus) is a species in the family Erebidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Dyspyralis nigellus - Hodges#8428?
Forewing 8.4-9.9 mm. Strecker listed a wingspan of .75 inch.
How do you identify Dyspyralis nigellus - Hodges#8428?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Head | Head and thorax dark purplish brown. Antenna: Simple, reaches to about mid-wing. |
| Thorax | Head and thorax dark purplish brown. Wings: Forewings: Dark brown, purplish sheen. Jagged black line near base (a.m. line). No orbicular spot. Cream arc in reniform spot. A cream and black jagged intermittent line through middle of wing (median line), dips around the reniform spot. Another faint cream and black jagged line just below the mid line (p.m. line). Main ID 5 white dashes on outside edge (costa) from median line to tip. Wing tip (terminal line) dark scalloped line, may have white scale mixed in. Fringe same color as wing background. Note: white scales more numerous on older moths. Hindwings: Smoky gray to brownish with faint sub-marginal line and a discal spot. |
| Legs | Brownish, feet white striped. Long spur on middle shin (tibiae). |
| Abdomen | Abdomen lighter brown than head and thorax. Male has a black tuft on top side at the base of the abdomen. Pogue description in PDF. Genitalia: |
Where is Dyspyralis nigellus - Hodges#8428 found?
Range: Quebec and Ontario to Nova Scotia and south to Texas and Georgia. , Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data. Beadle & Leckie map show the northeastern United States.
What does Dyspyralis nigellus - Hodges#8428 eat?
The diet of the Dyspyralis nigellus - Hodges#8428 includes The larval host is unknown. ,.
When is Dyspyralis nigellus - Hodges#8428 active?
Dyspyralis nigellus - Hodges#8428: seasonal activity - The main flight period appears to June to August with records from April to November. ( 3 ).