Greya variabilis - Hodges#0194.2
Greya variabilis
This record describes Greya variabilis (species). Recorded family: Prodoxidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
As its specific name suggests, this species demonstrates the greatest variation in maculation of all New World Prodoxidae.
Wikipedia reference for Greya variabilis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greya_variabilis.
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
Widely distributed over Alaska, occurring as far north as Umiat (69°25'N lat.), westward to the Pribilof and St. Lawrence Islands, and as far south as Oregon. It is the most boreal of all the Nearctic Incurvarioidea, being one of only two species in this superfamily known to occur north of the Arctic Circle.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Currently unknown ...but has been found among ericaceous shrubs, and a few herbaceous plants, see Matt Goff's comment here .
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Greya variabilis. 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 variabilis - Hodges#0194.2 (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Chris Grinter; Additional contributions by Aaron Schusteff
Frequently Asked Questions About Greya variabilis - Hodges#0194.2
What is Greya variabilis - Hodges#0194.2?
Greya variabilis - Hodges#0194.2 (Greya variabilis) is a species in the family Prodoxidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Greya variabilis - Hodges#0194.2 found?
Range: Widely distributed over Alaska, occurring as far north as Umiat (69°25'N lat.), westward to the Pribilof and St. Lawrence Islands, and as far south as Oregon. It is the most boreal of all the Nearctic Incurvarioidea, being one of only two species in this superfamily known to occur north of the Arctic Circle.
What does Greya variabilis - Hodges#0194.2 eat?
The diet of the Greya variabilis - Hodges#0194.2 includes Currently unknown ...but has been found among ericaceous shrubs, and a few herbaceous plants, see Matt Goff's comment here ..