Grotellaforma lactea - Hodges#9042
Grotellaforma lactea
This record describes Grotellaforma lactea (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
From Nearctica.com: Grotellaforma lactea is a small, nearly pure white, species of the southwestern United States and Baja California del Norte. The forewing is white with the maculation reduced to a few black dots representing the antemedial and postmedial lines. In some individuals even these black dots may be completely absent. The hindwing is white but most individuals are suffused with dull gray... ...This species could easily be confused with some species of Grotella, in particular Grotella stretchii, sampita, or septempunctata. The absence of tibial spines and the near absence of a frontal process will immediately separate lactea from any species of the genus Grotella. Grotellaforma lactea could also be confused with Homolagoa grotelliformis (a genus in the Eustrotiinae), but grotelliformis is a larger species; average wing length from base to apex is 8.75 mm in lactea, but approximately 11 mm in grotelliformis. Both species have black dots representing the forewing antemedial and postmedial lines. The dots are very small, few, and sometimes absent in lactea. In contrast the black dots are much more conspicuous in grotelliformis, three dots representing the antemedial line and four or five dots the postmedial line. A black dot is always present on the costa near the base of the wing in grotelliformis, but no such dot exists in lactea. A degenerate central protuberance is present in both species, but the protuberance is located near the clypeal margin in lactea, but close to the line connecting the antennal bases in grotelliformis.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Grotellinae
- Genus
- Grotellaforma
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
SE CA, SW AZ, extreme S NV, and NW Mexico
Seasonal Activity
Flies March-April in AZ, as well as in CA but with second brood during July-September in CA
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Unknown
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Grotellaforma lactea. 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 Grotellaforma lactea - Hodges#9042 (4)
Photo credits: Contributed by Kevin Keegan; Additional contributions by Steve Morris
Frequently Asked Questions About Grotellaforma lactea - Hodges#9042
What is Grotellaforma lactea - Hodges#9042?
Grotellaforma lactea - Hodges#9042 (Grotellaforma lactea) is a species in the family Noctuidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Grotellaforma lactea - Hodges#9042?
Wing length: mean = 8.75 mm, standard deviation = 0.49 mm, n = 10.
How do you identify Grotellaforma lactea - Hodges#9042?
From Nearctica.com: Grotellaforma lactea is a small, nearly pure white, species of the southwestern United States and Baja California del Norte. The forewing is white with the maculation reduced to a few black dots representing the antemedial and postmedial lines. In some individuals even these black dots may be completely absent. The hindwing is white but most individuals are suffused with dull gray... ...This species could easily be confused with some species of Grotella, in particular Grotella stretchii, sampita, or septempunctata. The absence of tibial spines and the near absence of a frontal process will immediately separate lactea from any species of the genus Grotella. Grotellaforma lactea could also be confused with Homolagoa grotelliformis (a genus in the Eustrotiinae), but grotelliformis is a larger species; average wing length from base to apex is 8.75 mm in lactea, but approximately 11 mm in grotelliformis. Both species have black dots representing the forewing antemedial and postmedial lines. The dots are very small, few, and sometimes absent in lactea. In contrast the black dots are much more conspicuous in grotelliformis, three dots representing the antemedial line and four or five dots the postmedial line. A black dot is always present on the costa near the base of the wing in grotelliformis, but no such dot exists in lactea. A degenerate central protuberance is present in both species, but the protuberance is located near the clypeal margin in lactea, but close to the line connecting the antennal bases in grotelliformis.
Where is Grotellaforma lactea - Hodges#9042 found?
Range: SE CA, SW AZ, extreme S NV, and NW Mexico
What does Grotellaforma lactea - Hodges#9042 eat?
The diet of the Grotellaforma lactea - Hodges#9042 includes Unknown.
When is Grotellaforma lactea - Hodges#9042 active?
Grotellaforma lactea - Hodges#9042: seasonal activity - Flies March-April in AZ, as well as in CA but with second brood during July-September in CA.