Ashy Meganola - Hodges#8983.2
Meganola spodia
This record describes Meganola spodia (species). Recorded family: Nolidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult: forewing light gray with mottled dark gray or blackish blotch halfway along costa, the blotch sometimes extending inward but becoming more diffuse toward inner margin; antemedial line thin, dark, usually complete; postmedial line double, inconspicuously toothed, extending down from costa in U-shaped loop, then continuing across to inner margin; a smaller dark gray patch usually present along costa at base of wing; terminal area with small brown blotches hindwing dirty light gray (paler near inner margin) with gray discal spot Per Franclemont (1985): ...it may be distinguished from that species by the darker, brown tinted gray color of the fore wing; minuscula has the fore wing lighter gray with a whitish or silvery tint, and the black spot at the middle of the costa is triangular, whereas that in spodia is rectangular. The hind wing is darker with a decided brownish tint in spodia, more or less uniform in color, whereas that of minuscula is paler gray, somewhat infuscate on the veins and somewhat whitish toward the base.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Nolidae (Nolid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Nolinae
- Genus
- Meganola
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Eastern United States plus Quebec and Ontario. Holotype male: Wrangle Brook Road, Lakehurst, Ocean County, New Jersey, 26 June 1954 (J.G. Franclemont).
Seasonal Activity
Adults fly in June and July in Ontario; May to August in Ohio; probably extended season farther south.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae recorded on Quercus prinus, Quercus stellata, Quercus velutina and possibly Quercus macrocarpa .
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet from Latin spodos meaning "ashes," for the ash-grey coloring of the moth.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Meganola spodia. 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 Ashy Meganola - Hodges#8983.2 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robin McLeod; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz , Maury Heiman , marcie oconnor , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Ashy Meganola - Hodges#8983.2
What is Ashy Meganola - Hodges#8983.2?
Ashy Meganola - Hodges#8983.2 (Meganola spodia) is a species in the family Nolidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Ashy Meganola - Hodges#8983.2?
Forewing length: males 9-11 mm; females 12-13 mm (Franclemont, 1985).
How do you identify Ashy Meganola - Hodges#8983.2?
Adult: forewing light gray with mottled dark gray or blackish blotch halfway along costa, the blotch sometimes extending inward but becoming more diffuse toward inner margin; antemedial line thin, dark, usually complete; postmedial line double, inconspicuously toothed, extending down from costa in U-shaped loop, then continuing across to inner margin; a smaller dark gray patch usually present along costa at base of wing; terminal area with small brown blotches hindwing dirty light gray (paler near inner margin) with gray discal spot Per Franclemont (1985): ...it may be distinguished from that species by the darker, brown tinted gray color of the fore wing; minuscula has the fore wing lighter gray with a whitish or silvery tint, and the black spot at the middle of the costa is triangular, whereas that in spodia is rectangular. The hind wing is darker with a decided brownish tint in spodia, more or less uniform in color, whereas that of minuscula is paler gray, somewhat infuscate on the veins and somewhat whitish toward the base.
Where is Ashy Meganola - Hodges#8983.2 found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Range | Eastern United States plus Quebec and Ontario. Holotype |
| Male | Wrangle Brook Road, Lakehurst, Ocean County, New Jersey, 26 June 1954 (J.G. Franclemont). |
What does Ashy Meganola - Hodges#8983.2 eat?
The diet of the Ashy Meganola - Hodges#8983.2 includes Larvae recorded on Quercus prinus, Quercus stellata, Quercus velutina and possibly Quercus macrocarpa ..
When is Ashy Meganola - Hodges#8983.2 active?
Ashy Meganola - Hodges#8983.2: seasonal activity - Adults fly in June and July in Ontario; May to August in Ohio; probably extended season farther south..