Lipocosma polingi - Hodges#4887
Lipocosma polingi
This record describes Lipocosma polingi (species). Recorded family: Crambidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Pyraloidea
- Family
- Crambidae (Crambid Snout Moths)
- Subfamily
- Glaphyriinae
- Genus
- Lipocosma
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Originally thought to be restricted to the Baboquivari Mountains of southern Arizona. Alma Solis recently studied a population of unknown Lipocosma from central and southern Texas which she determined were also Lipocosma polingi . Moth Photographers Group - large range map with collection dates.
Seasonal Activity
Adults fly May through October.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larval host is unknown but possibly oak.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Named in honor of ornithologist and entomologist Otho C. Poling (1879-1929) of Quincy, Illinois. Poling collected throughout the mountains and deserts of the American southwest, including California, southern Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas and Utah in two distinct periods (1900-1906 and 1922-1929). Many of his specimens were described by William Barnes and he had fourteen species of moths named for him.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Lipocosma polingi. 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 Lipocosma polingi - Hodges#4887 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Maury J. Heiman; Additional contributions by Mike Quinn , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Lipocosma polingi - Hodges#4887
How big is Lipocosma polingi - Hodges#4887?
Forewing length about 6 mm.
Where is Lipocosma polingi - Hodges#4887 found?
Range: Originally thought to be restricted to the Baboquivari Mountains of southern Arizona. Alma Solis recently studied a population of unknown Lipocosma from central and southern Texas which she determined were also Lipocosma polingi . Moth Photographers Group - large range map with collection dates.
What does Lipocosma polingi - Hodges#4887 eat?
The diet of the Lipocosma polingi - Hodges#4887 includes Larval host is unknown but possibly oak..
When is Lipocosma polingi - Hodges#4887 active?
Lipocosma polingi - Hodges#4887: seasonal activity - Adults fly May through October..