Melitara prodenialis - Hodges#5970
Melitara prodenialis
This record describes Melitara prodenialis (species). Recorded family: Pyralidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Pyraloidea
- Family
- Pyralidae (Pyralid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Phycitinae
- Tribe
- Phycitini
- Genus
- Melitara (Pricklypear Borer)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
se US (TX-FL-MD-KS) - Map (MPG), most common along the southeastern coastal plain (Neunzig, 1997).
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Opuntia humifusa var. ammophila (Small), O. humifusa var. austrina (Small), O. macrorhiza Engelmann, O. pusilla (Haworth), O. dillenii (Ker-Gawler), and O. sticta (Haworth) (Neunzig, 1997).
Life History
Eggs are deposited in the form of an egg-stick, and each a female deposites an average of two eggsticks, each composed of about 30 eggs. Larvae are gregarious within the cladode, and may feed in several clododes to complete development. In Arkansas larvae overwinter as 1st-3rd instars (Carleton and Kring, 1994). Pupation occurs in a silken cocoon on the surface of the soil under a dead cladode or other debris. The species has two generations annually throughout most of its range, but has three generations annually in Florida. In Arkansas flight periods of adults are June-July and September-October (Carleton & Kring, 1994).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Melitara prodenialis. 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 Melitara prodenialis - Hodges#5970 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Will Chatfield-Taylor; Additional contributions by Chuck Entz , Mike Quinn , Chuck Sexton , Randy Hardy , Blocky
Frequently Asked Questions About Melitara prodenialis - Hodges#5970
Where is Melitara prodenialis - Hodges#5970 found?
Range: se US (TX-FL-MD-KS) - Map (MPG), most common along the southeastern coastal plain (Neunzig, 1997).
What does Melitara prodenialis - Hodges#5970 eat?
The diet of the Melitara prodenialis - Hodges#5970 includes Opuntia humifusa var. ammophila (Small), O. humifusa var. austrina (Small), O. macrorhiza Engelmann, O. pusilla (Haworth), O. dillenii (Ker-Gawler), and O. sticta (Haworth) (Neunzig, 1997)..
What is the life cycle of a Melitara prodenialis - Hodges#5970?
Eggs are deposited in the form of an egg-stick, and each a female deposites an average of two eggsticks, each composed of about 30 eggs. Larvae are gregarious within the cladode, and may feed in several clododes to complete development. In Arkansas larvae overwinter as 1st-3rd instars (Carleton and Kring, 1994). Pupation occurs in a silken cocoon on the surface of the soil under a dead cladode or other debris. The species has two generations annually throughout most of its range, but has three generations annually in Florida. In Arkansas flight periods of adults are June-July and September-October (Carleton & Kring, 1994).