Greya piperella - Hodges#0189.1
Greya piperella
This record describes Greya piperella (species). Recorded family: Prodoxidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult - white or cream-coloured in females, sometimes with stamineous tinge in Alberta specimens; with gray tinge in male; numerous fine spots; hindwings gray. Egss - pear-shaped, white, about 0.5 x 0.25 mm in diameter.
Wikipedia reference for Greya piperella: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greya_piperella.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Adeloidea
- Family
- Prodoxidae (Yucca Moths and Allies)
- Subfamily
- Prodoxinae
- Genus
- Greya
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Open, grassy coniferous forest, or on rockfaces where its host is found.
Geographic Range
Dry interior parts of southern British Columbia to central Oregon, reaching eastward to western Montana. An isolated population is known from central-interior California. Altitudinal range, 200-2300 m.
Seasonal Activity
May to mid-August.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae mine in the flower peduncles of Alum-root ( Heuchera cylindrica (Saxifragaceae)) (Davis et al. 1992), feeding only on meristematic tissue (Brown et al. 1994). Adults also drink nectar from the larval host (Pellmyr et al. 1996).
Life History
Adults oviposit in the peduncle of the host flower one week before the flowers open (Davis et al. 1992).
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: The epithet piperella is derived from Latin meaning "little peppered one."
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Greya piperella. 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 Greya piperella - Hodges#0189.1 (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by tom murray; Additional contributions by Bob Patterson , Maury Heiman , Aaron Schusteff , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Greya piperella - Hodges#0189.1
What is Greya piperella - Hodges#0189.1?
Greya piperella - Hodges#0189.1 (Greya piperella) is a species in the family Prodoxidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Greya piperella - Hodges#0189.1?
Wingspan 16.5 - 21.5 mm.
How do you identify Greya piperella - Hodges#0189.1?
Adult - white or cream-coloured in females, sometimes with stamineous tinge in Alberta specimens; with gray tinge in male; numerous fine spots; hindwings gray. Egss - pear-shaped, white, about 0.5 x 0.25 mm in diameter.
Where is Greya piperella - Hodges#0189.1 found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Open, grassy coniferous forest, or on rockfaces where its host is found. |
| Range | Dry interior parts of southern British Columbia to central Oregon, reaching eastward to western Montana. An isolated population is known from central-interior California. Altitudinal range, 200-2300 m. |
What does Greya piperella - Hodges#0189.1 eat?
The diet of the Greya piperella - Hodges#0189.1 includes Larvae mine in the flower peduncles of Alum-root ( Heuchera cylindrica (Saxifragaceae)) (Davis et al. 1992), feeding only on meristematic tissue (Brown et al. 1994). Adults also drink nectar from the larval host (Pellmyr et al. 1996)..
When is Greya piperella - Hodges#0189.1 active?
Greya piperella - Hodges#0189.1: seasonal activity - May to mid-August..
What is the life cycle of a Greya piperella - Hodges#0189.1?
Adults oviposit in the peduncle of the host flower one week before the flowers open (Davis et al. 1992).