Hemileuca electra - Hodges#7736
Hemileuca electra
This record describes Hemileuca electra (species). Recorded family: Saturniidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Bombycoidea
- Family
- Saturniidae (Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths)
- Subfamily
- Hemileucinae
- Tribe
- Hemileucini
- Genus
- Hemileuca
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Mojave and Colorado Deserts of California and a population in central Arizona's Sonoran Desert (Powell & Opler, 2009).
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Flattop Buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum var. poliofolium (Southwestmoths.org).
Life History
See Comstock & Dammers.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet electra from Greek mythology, the princess of Argos. Electra was the daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Hemileuca electra. 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 Hemileuca electra - Hodges#7736 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by John F. Carr; Additional contributions by Maury Heiman , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Hemileuca electra - Hodges#7736
How big is Hemileuca electra - Hodges#7736?
Forewing length 2.3-3.1 cm (Powell & Opler, 2009). Larva to 4.5 cm (Comstock & Dammers, 1938). Pupa 2.5 cm (Comstock & Dammers, 1938).
Where is Hemileuca electra - Hodges#7736 found?
Range: Mojave and Colorado Deserts of California and a population in central Arizona's Sonoran Desert (Powell & Opler, 2009).
What does Hemileuca electra - Hodges#7736 eat?
The diet of the Hemileuca electra - Hodges#7736 includes Flattop Buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum var. poliofolium (Southwestmoths.org)..
What is the life cycle of a Hemileuca electra - Hodges#7736?
See Comstock & Dammers.