Homosetia bifasciella - Hodges#0287
Homosetia bifasciella
This record describes Homosetia bifasciella (species). Recorded family: Tineidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Head | Face front white, top of head dark brown, long haired (scaled). Palpi folded, yellowish-white, with long brown scales on underside. Antenna: Grayish-yellow, ringed (annulated) with brown. Segment 1 entirely dark brown. |
| Thorax | Dark brown; grayish-white on underside. Wings: Narrow, dark brown with wide bands of iridescent bluish-white visible only in certain lights. 4 tufts on each wing are partially surrounded with yellowish. Yellow dash at base, along costa. Tip of wing tip has 3 to 4 silvery-white dashes mixed in with the brown fringe, wing tip fringe mostly white. Hindwing pale brown, brassy; fringe the same. |
| Legs | Dark brown; segment tips white. |
| Abdomen | Abdomen dark brown; grayish-white on underside. Holotype as Semele bifasciella by Chambers, 1876. Locality: Kentucky. Museum unknown. Holotype as Homosetia obscurella male by Dietz, 1905 #14945. Locality: Onaga, Kansas. In Museum Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass. |
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Tineoidea
- Family
- Tineidae (Clothes Moths)
- Subfamily
- Tineinae
- Genus
- Homosetia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Eastern half of U.S.; Ontario and Quebec.
Seasonal Activity
April to September
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Detritus, fungus, decaying vegetation.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Homosetia bifasciella. 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 Homosetia bifasciella - Hodges#0287 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by tom murray; Additional contributions by Tony-2 , Robert Lord Zimlich , Randy Hardy , lee_penner
Frequently Asked Questions About Homosetia bifasciella - Hodges#0287
What is Homosetia bifasciella - Hodges#0287?
Homosetia bifasciella - Hodges#0287 (Homosetia bifasciella) is a species in the family Tineidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Homosetia bifasciella - Hodges#0287?
6 mm long.
How do you identify Homosetia bifasciella - Hodges#0287?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Head | Face front white, top of head dark brown, long haired (scaled). Palpi folded, yellowish-white, with long brown scales on underside. Antenna: Grayish-yellow, ringed (annulated) with brown. Segment 1 entirely dark brown. |
| Thorax | Dark brown; grayish-white on underside. Wings: Narrow, dark brown with wide bands of iridescent bluish-white visible only in certain lights. 4 tufts on each wing are partially surrounded with yellowish. Yellow dash at base, along costa. Tip of wing tip has 3 to 4 silvery-white dashes mixed in with the brown fringe, wing tip fringe mostly white. Hindwing pale brown, brassy; fringe the same. |
| Legs | Dark brown; segment tips white. |
| Abdomen | Abdomen dark brown; grayish-white on underside. |
Where is Homosetia bifasciella - Hodges#0287 found?
Range: Eastern half of U.S.; Ontario and Quebec.
What does Homosetia bifasciella - Hodges#0287 eat?
The diet of the Homosetia bifasciella - Hodges#0287 includes Detritus, fungus, decaying vegetation..
When is Homosetia bifasciella - Hodges#0287 active?
Homosetia bifasciella - Hodges#0287: seasonal activity - April to September.