Euchaetes polingi - Hodges#8240
Euchaetes polingi
This record describes Euchaetes polingi (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Additional details | Adult description adapted from Cassino (1928). |
| Forewing | Forewing is dark gray with no markings; costa has a white edge. |
| Hindwings | Hindwings are also dark gray but often slightly lighter. Underside of both wings a dark gray. |
| Head | Head is black, with a few red hairs behind the eyes; between the head and thorax there a few white hairs. The femur of the front legs, and the base of the palpi have red hairs. Middle and hind legs are black. The dorsal of abdomen is red with black spots on each segment. Ventral of abdomen is dark gray, and the sides are red with a black spot per segment. The end of the males abdomen has red hairs; females have white tips of abdomen. The abdomen of males is a much deeper crimson than the females. |
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Erebidae
- Subfamily
- Arctiinae
- Tribe
- Arctiini
- Genus
- Euchaetes
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Texas and Oklahoma to Arizona. ( 4 ) , ( 5 ) , ( 6 ) Holotype ♂ is labeled Brewster Co., Tex. June 1 1927, "illegible".
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Named in honor of ornithologist and entomologist Otho C. Poling (1879-1929) of Quincy, Illinois. Poling collected throughout the mountains and deserts of the American southwest, including California, southern Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas and Utah in two distinct periods (1900-1906 and 1922-1929). Many of his specimens were described by William Barnes and he had fourteen species of moths named for him.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Euchaetes polingi. 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 Euchaetes polingi - Hodges#8240 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Maury J. Heiman; Additional contributions by Chuck Sexton , Randy Hardy , Steve Morris
Frequently Asked Questions About Euchaetes polingi - Hodges#8240
What is Euchaetes polingi - Hodges#8240?
Euchaetes polingi - Hodges#8240 (Euchaetes polingi) is a species in the family Erebidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Euchaetes polingi - Hodges#8240?
Cassino (1928) reported the wingspan. ♂ 28 mm. ♀ 37 mm.
How do you identify Euchaetes polingi - Hodges#8240?
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Additional details | Adult description adapted from Cassino (1928). |
| Forewing | Forewing is dark gray with no markings; costa has a white edge. |
| Hindwings | Hindwings are also dark gray but often slightly lighter. Underside of both wings a dark gray. |
| Head | Head is black, with a few red hairs behind the eyes; between the head and thorax there a few white hairs. The femur of the front legs, and the base of the palpi have red hairs. Middle and hind legs are black. The dorsal of abdomen is red with black spots on each segment. Ventral of abdomen is dark gray, and the sides are red with a black spot per segment. The end of the males abdomen has red hairs; females have white tips of abdomen. The abdomen of males is a much deeper crimson than the females. |
Where is Euchaetes polingi - Hodges#8240 found?
Range: Texas and Oklahoma to Arizona. ( 4 ) , ( 5 ) , ( 6 ) Holotype ♂ is labeled Brewster Co., Tex. June 1 1927, illegible.