Nemophora bellela - Hodges#0218
Nemophora bellela
This record describes Nemophora bellela (species). Recorded family: Adelidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adults - ochreous with the veins black, reflecting metalic blue on fresh moths; broad, transverse yellow band bordered by metalic blue at the end of the cell. Antenna are thickly scaled with male antenna 1.9 times the forewing length and females 1.4 times
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Adeloidea
- Family
- Adelidae (Fairy Moths)
- Subfamily
- Adelinae
- Genus
- Nemophora
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Boreal
Geographic Range
From Quebec across Canada north of the plains to the mountains of British Columbia and Alaska
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Nemophora bellela. 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 Nemophora bellela - Hodges#0218 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Charley Eiseman; Additional contributions by Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Nemophora bellela - Hodges#0218
What is Nemophora bellela - Hodges#0218?
Nemophora bellela - Hodges#0218 (Nemophora bellela) is a species in the family Adelidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Nemophora bellela - Hodges#0218?
Forewing length 7.3-8.5 mm
How do you identify Nemophora bellela - Hodges#0218?
Adults - ochreous with the veins black, reflecting metalic blue on fresh moths; broad, transverse yellow band bordered by metalic blue at the end of the cell. Antenna are thickly scaled with male antenna 1.9 times the forewing length and females 1.4 times
Where is Nemophora bellela - Hodges#0218 found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Boreal |
| Range | From Quebec across Canada north of the plains to the mountains of British Columbia and Alaska |