Christmas-berry webworm moth - Hodges#4994
Loxostege floridalis
This record describes Loxostege floridalis (species). Recorded family: Crambidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
The four specimens from FL and three from TX and NM in the BOLD BIN for this species ( BOLD:AAH5264 ) form two narrowly divergent clades (~0.5%). The one specimen from NM was identified by Munroe.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Pyraloidea
- Family
- Crambidae (Crambid Snout Moths)
- Subfamily
- Pyraustinae
- Tribe
- Pyraustini
- Genus
- Loxostege
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
USA: FL, TX, NM. Type locality: Everglade, FL.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larbal host is Carolina desert-thorn ( Lycium carolinianum var. quadrifidum ).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Loxostege floridalis. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas-berry webworm moth - Hodges#4994
What is Christmas-berry webworm moth - Hodges#4994?
Christmas-berry webworm moth - Hodges#4994 (Loxostege floridalis) is a species in the family Crambidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Christmas-berry webworm moth - Hodges#4994 found?
Range: USA: FL, TX, NM. Type locality: Everglade, FL.
What does Christmas-berry webworm moth - Hodges#4994 eat?
The diet of the Christmas-berry webworm moth - Hodges#4994 includes Larbal host is Carolina desert-thorn ( Lycium carolinianum var. quadrifidum )..