Gelechia dromicella - Hodges#1940
Gelechia dromicella
This record describes Gelechia dromicella (species). Recorded family: Gelechiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
There are 4 BINs at BOLD for G. dromicella and G. ribesella . All four might represent good species. On the other hand, three group closely together and may together represent G. ribesella with a 4th more distantly speparated by DNA barcode: • G. ribesella ? (these are all close to eachother with BOLD:ADZ0979 providing the best match to the original description for G. ribesella ) BOLD:AAL2500 BOLD:ADZ0979 BOLD:ADZ0978 • G. ribesella ?: BOLD:AAN5602 Contributed by Steve Nanz (10/7/2020)
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Gelechioidea
- Family
- Gelechiidae (Twirler Moths)
- Subfamily
- Gelechiinae
- Tribe
- Gelechiini
- Genus
- Gelechia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Type Locality: Placer Co., CA.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Gelechia dromicella. 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 Gelechia dromicella - Hodges#1940 (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Steve Nanz; Additional contributions by Steve Morris