Mesepiola specca - Hodges#0209
Mesepiola specca
This record describes Mesepiola specca (species). Recorded family: Prodoxidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wikipedia reference for Mesepiola specca: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesepiola.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Adeloidea
- Family
- Prodoxidae (Yucca Moths and Allies)
- Subfamily
- Prodoxinae
- Genus
- Mesepiola
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
New Mexico to southern California. Holotype ♀ collected at Bog Spring Camp Ground, Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains, 5100', Santa Cruz County, Arizona, July 10-26-1964, D.R. Davis collector, #67753 in the United States National Museum (USNM).
Diet and Behavior
Diet: The larval host plants include Nolina and Dasylirion species.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Mesepiola specca. 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 Mesepiola specca - Hodges#0209 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Maury J. Heiman
Frequently Asked Questions About Mesepiola specca - Hodges#0209
How big is Mesepiola specca - Hodges#0209?
Davis listed the wingspan. ♂ 8-10 mm. ♀ 8-12 mm.
Where is Mesepiola specca - Hodges#0209 found?
Range: New Mexico to southern California. Holotype ♀ collected at Bog Spring Camp Ground, Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains, 5100', Santa Cruz County, Arizona, July 10-26-1964, D.R. Davis collector, #67753 in the United States National Museum (USNM).
What does Mesepiola specca - Hodges#0209 eat?
The diet of the Mesepiola specca - Hodges#0209 includes The larval host plants include Nolina and Dasylirion species..