Microcrambus polingi - Hodges#5421
Microcrambus polingi
This record describes Microcrambus polingi (species). Recorded family: Crambidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult : Ground color dull whitish, almost always heavily dusted with dark scales. PM and ST lines dark and infuscated, often obscured by dark dusting and clouding. Terminal line, thin, dark and distinct. Kearfott's Mexican specimens were larger (forewing 10.3-10.8 mm), darker and more heavily clouded.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Pyraloidea
- Family
- Crambidae (Crambid Snout Moths)
- Subfamily
- Crambinae
- Tribe
- Crambini
- Genus
- Microcrambus
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
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 Microcrambus 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 Microcrambus polingi - Hodges#5421 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Kyhl Austin; Additional contributions by Robert Lord Zimlich , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Microcrambus polingi - Hodges#5421
What is Microcrambus polingi - Hodges#5421?
Microcrambus polingi - Hodges#5421 (Microcrambus polingi) is a species in the family Crambidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Microcrambus polingi - Hodges#5421?
FWL ≈ 8.5mm
How do you identify Microcrambus polingi - Hodges#5421?
Adult : Ground color dull whitish, almost always heavily dusted with dark scales. PM and ST lines dark and infuscated, often obscured by dark dusting and clouding. Terminal line, thin, dark and distinct.