Naera nr. fuscocristatella - Hodges#1767.01
Naera nr-fuscocristatella
This record describes Naera nr-fuscocristatella (species). Recorded family: Gelechiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
The type locality of Naera fuscocristatella is Waco and Basque Co. BOLD BIN group BOLD:AAI3303 contains one MEM specimen from MS, identified as fuscocristatella presumably by Sangmi Lee, and one CNC specimen from FL, identified only to genus. The nearest neighbor to BOLD:AAI3303 is BOLD:ACL1953 with several CNC specimens from southeastern AZ identified as Sophronia by J-F Landry. The BINs are separated by 3% and would seem to represent two species in the same genus. The AZ specimens do not appear to be separable by photo from fuscocristatella . While it is possible that they may represent true fuscocristatella , MPG assumes that the MEM specimen in BOLD:AAI3303 is correctly identified, and therefore regards the AZ BIN as representing as a cryptic, possibly undescribed species. (Steve Nanz 2023)
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Gelechioidea
- Family
- Gelechiidae (Twirler Moths)
- Subfamily
- Gelechiinae
- Tribe
- Gelechiini
- Genus
- Naera
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Southwest Arizona.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Naera nr-fuscocristatella. 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 Naera nr. fuscocristatella - Hodges#1767.01 (4)
Photo credits: Contributed by Steve Nanz