Hemeroplanis rectalis - Hodges#8475.1
Hemeroplanis rectalis
This record describes Hemeroplanis rectalis (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
FWs rather sharply triangular with straight costal margin; ground color varies from pale cream, yellow, or orange, to pinkish red. AM and PM lines narrow, yellowish; AM line perpendicular to inner margin and fairly straight, highlighted on costa by a dusky spot and sometimes with a row of dusky spots along its length; PM line slightly sinuous, highlighted on costa by a dusky mark and usually margined inward by narrow dark shading or a line of dusky dots; reniform spot usually evident, kidney-shaped but rather vague (sometimes bold), same color as dark marks along AM and PM lines; subterminal line irregular, often slightly shaded or marked with dark dots on the veins.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Erebidae
- Subfamily
- Boletobiinae
- Tribe
- Phytometrini
- Genus
- Hemeroplanis
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Hemeroplanis rectalis Smith, 1907 Pleonectyptera rectalis Smith, 1907
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Hemeroplanis rectalis. 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 Hemeroplanis rectalis - Hodges#8475.1 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Charley Eiseman; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz , Chuck Sexton