LepidopteraPyralidae – Pyralid Moths

Interjectio denticulella - Hodges#5755

Interjectio denticulella

This record describes Interjectio denticulella (species). Recorded family: Pyralidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Interjectio denticulella - Hodges#5755 - Interjectio denticulella — Contributed by Steve Morris; Additional contributions by Blocky , Robert H. Biagi

Forewing white with thin, black longitudinal streaks and conspicuous, narrow, triangular black spot just before the AM line. Some specimens exhibit only weakly formed dark marks on forewings; some are dark overall with usual white ground color appearing gray due to abundance of black-tipped scales. Genitalia:

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily: Pyraloidea
Family: Pyralidae (Pyralid Moths)
Subfamily: Phycitinae
Tribe: Phycitini
Genus: Interjectio

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Geographic Range

British Columbia south thru California and east to Wyoming

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Interjectio denticulella. 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.

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