Greya politella - Hodges#0194
Greya politella
This record describes Greya politella (species). Recorded family: Prodoxidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult - uniformly brownish gray, irrorated with a sparse scattering of somewhat indistinct grayish white scales, sometimes so heavily as to impart a pale bronzy iridescence. Hindwing gray, usually darker than forewing and without pale, bronzy luster. Pupa - Dark brown to black. Vertex smoothly rounded. Egg - White, pyriform or oblong, molded by surrounding ovules, 0.35 x 0.2 mm. Chorion smooth. The adult moth pollinates its host while the larvae feeds off the seeds. This relationship is similar to the well-known example of mutualism between yucca plants and yucca moths, Tegeticula , also in the family Prodoxidae. For more details, see the article by Pellmyr & Thompson cited below under Print References. (See also the Remarks on the Tegeticula info page .)
Wikipedia reference for Greya politella: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greya_politella.
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
Geographic Range
From southern British Columbia to California Channel Islands and southern Sierra Nevada. From the Pacific coast to Idaho and Colorado.
Seasonal Activity
Flies from mid-March to early August.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Host plants have been recorded from the species listed below, all in the saxifrage family (Saxifragaceae): Lithophragma affine, L. bolanderi, L. cymbalaria, L. heterophyllum, L. parviflorum, L. tenellum , and Heuchera grossulariifolia .
Life History
The female oviposits down into the ovary, and the larva feeds first on seeds and later after hibernation on vegetative parts (Pellmyr & Thompson, 1992).
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet is Latin meaning "polished" for the forewings that are "shining, pale greyish with a slight aeneous (coppery) tinge." ,
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Greya politella. 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 politella - Hodges#0194 (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Lynette Elliott; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset , Aaron Schusteff , Ron M. , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Greya politella - Hodges#0194
What is Greya politella - Hodges#0194?
Greya politella - Hodges#0194 (Greya politella) is a species in the family Prodoxidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Greya politella - Hodges#0194?
Forewing length 5-9 mm. Wing expanse 14-20 mm. Last instar larva 5.6 mm Pupa 5.4 mm
How do you identify Greya politella - Hodges#0194?
Adult - uniformly brownish gray, irrorated with a sparse scattering of somewhat indistinct grayish white scales, sometimes so heavily as to impart a pale bronzy iridescence. Hindwing gray, usually darker than forewing and without pale, bronzy luster. Pupa - Dark brown to black. Vertex smoothly rounded. Egg - White, pyriform or oblong, molded by surrounding ovules, 0.35 x 0.2 mm. Chorion smooth.
Where is Greya politella - Hodges#0194 found?
Range: From southern British Columbia to California Channel Islands and southern Sierra Nevada. From the Pacific coast to Idaho and Colorado.
What does Greya politella - Hodges#0194 eat?
The diet of the Greya politella - Hodges#0194 includes Host plants have been recorded from the species listed below, all in the saxifrage family (Saxifragaceae): Lithophragma affine, L. bolanderi, L. cymbalaria, L. heterophyllum, L. parviflorum, L. tenellum , and Heuchera grossulariifolia ..
When is Greya politella - Hodges#0194 active?
Greya politella - Hodges#0194: seasonal activity - Flies from mid-March to early August..
What is the life cycle of a Greya politella - Hodges#0194?
The female oviposits down into the ovary, and the larva feeds first on seeds and later after hibernation on vegetative parts (Pellmyr & Thompson, 1992).