Gelechia panella - Hodges#1958
Gelechia panella
This record describes Gelechia panella (species). Recorded family: Gelechiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult - Uniform brick or rust red forewing with grey hindwing. Genitalia: ♀ ♂ The ground color of this moth perfectly matches its larval hosts, madrone and manzanita.
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
Arizona and southern California, to north coastal California.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larval hosts are madrone ( Arbutus ) and manzanita ( Arctostaphylos ).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Gelechia panella. 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 panella - Hodges#1958 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Tim Loh; Additional contributions by john and jane balaban , Randy Hardy , Robert H. Biagi
Frequently Asked Questions About Gelechia panella - Hodges#1958
What is Gelechia panella - Hodges#1958?
Gelechia panella - Hodges#1958 (Gelechia panella) is a species in the family Gelechiidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Gelechia panella - Hodges#1958?
Forewing length 9.0-11.5 mm.
How do you identify Gelechia panella - Hodges#1958?
Adult - Uniform brick or rust red forewing with grey hindwing. Genitalia: ♀ ♂
Where is Gelechia panella - Hodges#1958 found?
Range: Arizona and southern California, to north coastal California.
What does Gelechia panella - Hodges#1958 eat?
The diet of the Gelechia panella - Hodges#1958 includes Larval hosts are madrone ( Arbutus ) and manzanita ( Arctostaphylos )..