Elada Checkerspot - Hodges#4513
Microtia elada
This record describes Microtia elada (species). Recorded family: Nymphalidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Most like Microtia dymas , differing in having an orange margin along the edge of the lower hind wing, and without a whitish spot near the middle of the front edge of the front wing. [or, sometimes with most of the median spot band pale.]. The abdomen has orange with black markings on top, but not a row of black-edged orange spots down the middle.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Papilionoidea
- Family
- Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
- Subfamily
- Nymphalinae
- Tribe
- Melitaeini
- Genus
- Microtia (Tiny Checkerspots)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
southern Arizona to Texas and south into northern Mexico.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: The name M. perse is now sometimes treated as a separate species, occuring further west [CA, AZ, NM, SON] than more eastern M. elada ulrica [NM, TX, CHIH]. These do not seem to be well differentiated from one another when populations in adjacent parts of Sonora, Arizona, Chihuahua, west Texas, and New Mexico are compared, and do not seem to represent more than geographic variation, at most subspecies.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Microtia elada. 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 Elada Checkerspot - Hodges#4513 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by David J. Ferguson; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz
Frequently Asked Questions About Elada Checkerspot - Hodges#4513
What is Elada Checkerspot - Hodges#4513?
Elada Checkerspot - Hodges#4513 (Microtia elada) is a species in the family Nymphalidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Elada Checkerspot - Hodges#4513?
Most like Microtia dymas , differing in having an orange margin along the edge of the lower hind wing, and without a whitish spot near the middle of the front edge of the front wing. [or, sometimes with most of the median spot band pale.]. The abdomen has orange with black markings on top, but not a row of black-edged orange spots down the middle.
Where is Elada Checkerspot - Hodges#4513 found?
Range: southern Arizona to Texas and south into northern Mexico.