Minute Ragweed Borer - Hodges#3172.1
Epiblema minutana
This record describes Epiblema minutana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
See Gilligan et al. Additionally, based on a review of minutana and strenuana specimens in the Mississippi Entomological Museum, Richard Brown reported, In all cases, the front of as well as dorsal surfaces of labial palpi are white in minutana, but the vertex (top) of head was brownish or pale, but not white. In contrast, the all strenuana had heads with a brownish front and most had brownish palps, with a few having pale scales on medial and dorsal surfaces. (pers. comm. 29 viii 2020) These characters are not always clearly visible in photos and may not be 100% consistent for all populations. Genitalia:
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Tortricoidea
- Family
- Tortricidae (Tortricid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Olethreutinae
- Tribe
- Eucosmini
- Genus
- Epiblema
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Type Locality: New Jersey.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Eucosma minutana (Kearfott, 1905) is raised from synonymy of Epiblema strenuana to full species status in Gilligan et al.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Epiblema minutana. 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 Minute Ragweed Borer - Hodges#3172.1 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Steve Nanz; Additional contributions by Blocky , Robert H. Biagi
Frequently Asked Questions About Minute Ragweed Borer - Hodges#3172.1
What is Minute Ragweed Borer - Hodges#3172.1?
Minute Ragweed Borer - Hodges#3172.1 (Epiblema minutana) is a species in the family Tortricidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Minute Ragweed Borer - Hodges#3172.1?
FWL: 4.3–7.9 mm
How do you identify Minute Ragweed Borer - Hodges#3172.1?
See Gilligan et al. Additionally, based on a review of minutana and strenuana specimens in the Mississippi Entomological Museum, Richard Brown reported, In all cases, the front of as well as dorsal surfaces of labial palpi are white in minutana, but the vertex (top) of head was brownish or pale, but not white. In contrast, the all strenuana had heads with a brownish front and most had brownish palps, with a few having pale scales on medial and dorsal surfaces. (pers. comm. 29 viii 2020) These characters are not always clearly visible in photos and may not be 100% consistent for all populations. Genitalia:
Where is Minute Ragweed Borer - Hodges#3172.1 found?
Range: Type Locality: New Jersey.