Octagonal Casemaker Moth - Hodges#1398
Homaledra octagonella
This record describes Homaledra octagonella (species). Recorded family: Pterolonchidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult and larval case - see original description in Print References. Dr. Jean-François Landry wrote this in response to a request for confirmation that these are Coleophora octagonella : ...although the species name is correct, it is misplaced in the genus Coleophora , or in that family. Actually the species belong to the family Batrachedrinae but this is still unpublished information resulting from my research. The case is constructed rather differently from those of Coleophora species and the larva feeds on lichens which grow on oak trees (Coleophorids don’t). If you ever find more of these, I’d love to have them alive and try to rear them out.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Gelechioidea
- Family
- Pterolonchidae
- Genus
- Homaledra
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Records from east Texas to Florida, north to Tennessee and North Carolina.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larva feeds on lichens which grow on oak trees.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet means "eight-sided" for the larval case described as "spiniform, and octagonal, tapering to a blunt point."
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Homaledra octagonella. 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 Octagonal Casemaker Moth - Hodges#1398 (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Charley Eiseman; Additional contributions by cotinis , Steve Nanz , Chuck Entz , Robert Lord Zimlich , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Octagonal Casemaker Moth - Hodges#1398
What is Octagonal Casemaker Moth - Hodges#1398?
Octagonal Casemaker Moth - Hodges#1398 (Homaledra octagonella) is a species in the family Pterolonchidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Octagonal Casemaker Moth - Hodges#1398?
Wingspan 11 mm.
How do you identify Octagonal Casemaker Moth - Hodges#1398?
Adult and larval case - see original description in Print References.
Where is Octagonal Casemaker Moth - Hodges#1398 found?
Range: Records from east Texas to Florida, north to Tennessee and North Carolina.
What does Octagonal Casemaker Moth - Hodges#1398 eat?
The diet of the Octagonal Casemaker Moth - Hodges#1398 includes Larva feeds on lichens which grow on oak trees..