LepidopteraCrambidae – Crambid Snout Moths

Gonocausta sabinalis - Hodges#5078.1

Gonocausta sabinalis

This record describes Gonocausta sabinalis (species). Recorded family: Crambidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Gonocausta sabinalis - Hodges#5078.1 (Gonocausta sabinalis) is a species in the family Crambidae, commonly known as crambid snout moths, belonging to the order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths). It is classified within the subfamily Spilomelinae, tribe Hydririni, superfamily Pyraloidea. This species belongs to the genus Gonocausta. Size: 14 mm wingspan (Dyar, 1914).

Identification notes

Det. per Knudson & Bordelon

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily: Pyraloidea
Family: Crambidae (Crambid Snout Moths)
Subfamily: Spilomelinae
Tribe: Hydririni
Genus: Gonocausta

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Geographic Range

c. to s. TX, FL Keys (Dyar, 1914), (BG & MPG data)

Additional species information

Species notes from the sources

Etymology: Type Locality: Sabinal, Uvalde County, Texas

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Gonocausta sabinalis. 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.

Explore Lepidoptera families and species →