Gonodonta sinaldus - Hodges#8538
Gonodonta sinaldus
This record describes Gonodonta sinaldus (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult: forewing has large dark brown to blackish patch with smoothly curved distal edge; lighter grayish-brown shading at base of wing, along costa, beyond PM line, and in small semicircular patch along inner margin; whitish line parallels costa before curving inward near base; hindwing gray distally, yellow or orangish basally
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Erebidae
- Subfamily
- Calpinae
- Tribe
- Calpini
- Genus
- Gonodonta
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Common from the Mexican border north to Concan in the Texas Hill Country; sporadic records north to at least Dallas; south at least to Trinidad and Columbia.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Gonodonta sinaldus. 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 Gonodonta sinaldus - Hodges#8538 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Joshua Stuart Rose; Additional contributions by cotinis , Robin McLeod
Frequently Asked Questions About Gonodonta sinaldus - Hodges#8538
What is Gonodonta sinaldus - Hodges#8538?
Gonodonta sinaldus - Hodges#8538 (Gonodonta sinaldus) is a species in the family Erebidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Gonodonta sinaldus - Hodges#8538?
Adult: forewing has large dark brown to blackish patch with smoothly curved distal edge; lighter grayish-brown shading at base of wing, along costa, beyond PM line, and in small semicircular patch along inner margin; whitish line parallels costa before curving inward near base; hindwing gray distally, yellow or orangish basally
Where is Gonodonta sinaldus - Hodges#8538 found?
Range: Common from the Mexican border north to Concan in the Texas Hill Country; sporadic records north to at least Dallas; south at least to Trinidad and Columbia.