LepidopteraGeometridae – Geometrid Moths

Eupithecia coloradensis - Hodges#7481

Eupithecia coloradensis

This record describes Eupithecia coloradensis (species). Recorded family: Geometridae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Eupithecia coloradensis - Hodges#7481 - Eupithecia coloradensis — Contributed by Robert Lord Zimlich

Adult : FW are dark brownish grey except for the reddish brown costa and poorly defined wide PM band. Hind wings slightly paler brownish grey. Second segment of abdomen with darker transverse band. (a)

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily: Geometroidea
Family: Geometridae (Geometrid Moths)
Subfamily: Larentiinae
Tribe: Eupitheciini
Genus: Eupithecia

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 Eupithecia coloradensis. 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.

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