Embola powelli - Hodges#2500.1
Embola powelli
This record describes Embola powelli (species). Recorded family: Heliodinidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Yponomeutoidea
- Family
- Heliodinidae (Sun Moths)
- Genus
- Embola
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
California and Arizona (Hsu) and New Mexico and Texas (based on BugGuide records)
Diet and Behavior
Diet: larval hosts are Mirabilas californica and M. tenuloba . Adults seen necturing on Asteraceae ( Encelia , Haplopappus ) and Nyctaginaceae ( Boerhavia_coccinea )
Life History
larva enters host plant by boring a hole in the stem, pupation occurs in the stem and adult emerges through a hole bored by the larva
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Author: Hsu, 2002
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Embola powelli. 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 Embola powelli - Hodges#2500.1 (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Charley Eiseman; Additional contributions by James Bailey , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Embola powelli - Hodges#2500.1
How big is Embola powelli - Hodges#2500.1?
forewing length 2.8 - 4.8 mm
Where is Embola powelli - Hodges#2500.1 found?
Range: California and Arizona (Hsu) and New Mexico and Texas (based on BugGuide records)
What does Embola powelli - Hodges#2500.1 eat?
The diet of the Embola powelli - Hodges#2500.1 includes larval hosts are Mirabilas californica and M. tenuloba . Adults seen necturing on Asteraceae ( Encelia , Haplopappus ) and Nyctaginaceae ( Boerhavia_coccinea ).
What is the life cycle of a Embola powelli - Hodges#2500.1?
larva enters host plant by boring a hole in the stem, pupation occurs in the stem and adult emerges through a hole bored by the larva