Eugnosta willettana - Hodges#3792
Eugnosta willettana
This record describes Eugnosta willettana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Tortricoidea
- Family
- Tortricidae (Tortricid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Tortricinae
- Tribe
- Cochylini
- Genus
- Eugnosta
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Known from southern California and southern Arizona; Mexico. , , Holotype ♂ from Chuckwalla Springs, Riverside County, California, December 25, 1937 (G. Willett), in USNM.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: The larva feeds in galls on brittlebush ( Encelia farinosa ) (Comstock, 1941).
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Named in honor of Dr. George Willett (1879-1945), curator of Entomology and Chair at the American Museum of Natural History, who collected the first specimens.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Eugnosta willettana. 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 Eugnosta willettana - Hodges#3792 (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Randy Hardy; Additional contributions by Maury Heiman
Frequently Asked Questions About Eugnosta willettana - Hodges#3792
How big is Eugnosta willettana - Hodges#3792?
Winspan about 24-27 mm (USNM specimens, Comstock descriptions). Larva to 12 mm (Comstock, 1941).
Where is Eugnosta willettana - Hodges#3792 found?
Range: Known from southern California and southern Arizona; Mexico. , , Holotype ♂ from Chuckwalla Springs, Riverside County, California, December 25, 1937 (G. Willett), in USNM.
What does Eugnosta willettana - Hodges#3792 eat?
The diet of the Eugnosta willettana - Hodges#3792 includes The larva feeds in galls on brittlebush ( Encelia farinosa ) (Comstock, 1941)..