Red-eyed Button Slug Moth - Hodges#4657
Heterogenea shurtleffi
This record describes Heterogenea shurtleffi (species). Recorded family: Limacodidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Specimens identified by DNA analysis:
Identification notes
Specimens identified by DNA analysis:
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Zygaenoidea
- Family
- Limacodidae (Slug Caterpillar Moths)
- Genus
- Heterogenea
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
eastern
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Dyar reports: "black oak, chestnut, beech, iron wood"
Life History
larva; larva; adult:
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Heterogenea shurtleffi. 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 Red-eyed Button Slug Moth - Hodges#4657 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by tom murray; Additional contributions by Blocky , Robert H. Biagi , PaleoJon
Frequently Asked Questions About Red-eyed Button Slug Moth - Hodges#4657
What is Red-eyed Button Slug Moth - Hodges#4657?
Red-eyed Button Slug Moth - Hodges#4657 (Heterogenea shurtleffi) is a species in the family Limacodidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Red-eyed Button Slug Moth - Hodges#4657?
Specimens identified by DNA analysis:
Where is Red-eyed Button Slug Moth - Hodges#4657 found?
Range: eastern
What does Red-eyed Button Slug Moth - Hodges#4657 eat?
The diet of the Red-eyed Button Slug Moth - Hodges#4657 includes Dyar reports: black oak, chestnut, beech, iron wood.
What is the life cycle of a Red-eyed Button Slug Moth - Hodges#4657?
larva; larva; adult: