Hypsopygia glaucinalis
This record describes Hypsopygia glaucinalis (species). Recorded family: Pyralidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan 23-30 mm. A mid brown coloured moth with two pale lines running across the wings. It frequents sheds and farm buildings, gardens, hay-stacks, thatched roofs and bird nests. On the wing in July and August, when it comes to light. The larvae feed amongst the thatch or hay, or in other kinds of dry vegetable matter, such as birds' nests. Relatively common locally in the Southern half of England, though numbers appear to be decreasing. It is also an occasional migrant to the South. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Pyralidae
- Genus
- Hypsopygia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
It frequents sheds and farm buildings, gardens, hay-stacks, thatched roofs and bird nests.
Seasonal Activity
On the wing in July and August, when it comes to light.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
The larvae feed amongst the thatch or hay, or in other kinds of dry vegetable matter, such as birds' nests.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Relatively common locally in the Southern half of England, though numbers appear to be decreasing. It is also an occasional migrant to the South. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Hypsopygia glaucinalis. 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 Hypsopygia glaucinalis (10)
Frequently Asked Questions About Hypsopygia glaucinalis
What is Hypsopygia glaucinalis?
Hypsopygia glaucinalis is a species in the family Pyralidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Hypsopygia glaucinalis found?
Habitat: It frequents sheds and farm buildings, gardens, hay-stacks, thatched roofs and bird nests.
When is Hypsopygia glaucinalis active?
Hypsopygia glaucinalis: seasonal activity - On the wing in July and August, when it comes to light..
What is the life cycle of a Hypsopygia glaucinalis?
The larvae feed amongst the thatch or hay, or in other kinds of dry vegetable matter, such as birds' nests.