Neoheliodines cliffordi - Hodges#2502.1
Neoheliodines cliffordi
This record describes Neoheliodines cliffordi (species). Recorded family: Heliodinidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Antenna black, last 5 segments white. Base of wing metallic gray. From thorax tip of first set of metallic gray spots on inner margin its brown with a wide yellow stripe at each side of the brown. Outer (costal) margin has variable amounts of black scaling to mid-wing, rest orange. 5 raised metallic gray spots along the outer margin and 3 raised metallic gray spots along inner margin. Wing tip is black, irregular, with another very narrow, not raised, metallic gray spot blending into the black. Fringe dark gray. Hindwing dark gray including fringe. Types: Holotype as Heliodines cliffordi male by Harrison & Passoa, 1995. Type Locality: Illinois. In the United States National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Yponomeutoidea
- Family
- Heliodinidae (Sun Moths)
- Genus
- Neoheliodines
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Forest edges and meadows
Seasonal Activity
Flight Time: Mid-May to early June; mid-July to early August; partial 3rd generation late August to early September in the north.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Wild Four O’clocks (Mirabilis nyctaginea).
Life History
Females lay white, flattened eggs on the underside of Four O’clock leaves, usually on lower leaves of the plant. Larvae eat into the underside of leaf and feed internally, often with more than one larva in a leaf. By the 3rd instar, they move to the exposed underside of the leaf and feed under a silken web. The feeding creates white ‘windows’ on the upper side of the leaf. The larva is pale green, head blackish. Shield has two black spots, later instars have one larger spot. Over-winters as a pupa. Two generations and a partial 3rd.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Neoheliodines cliffordi. 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 Neoheliodines cliffordi - Hodges#2502.1 (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by john and jane balaban; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset , Edward Ruden , lee_penner
Frequently Asked Questions About Neoheliodines cliffordi - Hodges#2502.1
What is Neoheliodines cliffordi - Hodges#2502.1?
Neoheliodines cliffordi - Hodges#2502.1 (Neoheliodines cliffordi) is a species in the family Heliodinidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Neoheliodines cliffordi - Hodges#2502.1?
7 to 8 mm long. Wingspan 10-13 mm.
How do you identify Neoheliodines cliffordi - Hodges#2502.1?
Antenna black, last 5 segments white. Base of wing metallic gray. From thorax tip of first set of metallic gray spots on inner margin its brown with a wide yellow stripe at each side of the brown. Outer (costal) margin has variable amounts of black scaling to mid-wing, rest orange. 5 raised metallic gray spots along the outer margin and 3 raised metallic gray spots along inner margin. Wing tip is black, irregular, with another very narrow, not raised, metallic gray spot blending into the black. Fringe dark gray. Hindwing dark gray including fringe.
Where is Neoheliodines cliffordi - Hodges#2502.1 found?
Habitat: Forest edges and meadows
What does Neoheliodines cliffordi - Hodges#2502.1 eat?
The diet of the Neoheliodines cliffordi - Hodges#2502.1 includes Wild Four O’clocks (Mirabilis nyctaginea)..
When is Neoheliodines cliffordi - Hodges#2502.1 active?
Neoheliodines cliffordi - Hodges#2502.1: seasonal activity - Flight Time: Mid-May to early June; mid-July to early August; partial 3rd generation late August to early September in the north..
What is the life cycle of a Neoheliodines cliffordi - Hodges#2502.1?
Females lay white, flattened eggs on the underside of Four O’clock leaves, usually on lower leaves of the plant. Larvae eat into the underside of leaf and feed internally, often with more than one larva in a leaf. By the 3rd instar, they move to the exposed underside of the leaf and feed under a silken web. The feeding creates white ‘windows’ on the upper side of the leaf. The larva is pale green, head blackish. Shield has two black spots, later instars have one larger spot. Over-winters as a pupa. Two generations and a partial 3rd.