Eriopyga (prov. plcmt.) crista of authors - Hodges#10605
Eriopyga crista
This record describes Eriopyga crista (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
This is actually a misidentification, but the true identity of this AZ species is unknown (Lafontaine & Schmidt 2010). Eriopyga crista - A synonym of this species (Eriopyga dissimilis) was nominally described from Arizona. However, the species otherwise occurs from southern Mexico to northern South America, so the specimen from Arizona is believed to be mislabelled. An undescribed species occurs in southeastern Arizona and it often is misidentified as Eriopyga crista because it is the only species in the genus listed by Franclemont and Todd.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Noctuinae
- Tribe
- Eriopygini
- Genus
- Eriopyga
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Eriopyga crista. 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 Eriopyga (prov. plcmt.) crista of authors - Hodges#10605 (4)
Photo credits: Contributed by Steve Nanz