Black-blotched Prominent - Hodges#8011
Oedemasia leptinoides
This record describes Oedemasia leptinoides (species). Recorded family: Notodontidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult: forewing medium to dark gray with a sharply defined dark basal streak , diffuse blackish blotch near center of wing and usually paler brownish shading toward inner margin; AM and PM lines double, indistinct; pale gray or whitish rectangular patch at apex; hindwing dirty white in male, and gray in female Larva: body brown with prominent humps on first, fifth, and eighth abdominal segments; head strongly mottled with pattern coalescing into broad diffuse band to either side of midline; dorsum of thorax with dark patch widening toward head; dorsum of sixth and seventh segments with pale chevron [description by David Wagner and Valerie Giles]
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Notodontidae (Prominent Moths)
- Subfamily
- Heterocampinae
- Genus
- Oedemasia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Canada: NS to BC; USA: ME south to southern FL west to MN and TX in wooded areas with a disjunct population in western SD. ( 4 ) Type locality ( leptinoides ): "Middles States". Type locality ( mustelina ): Cambridge, MA.
Seasonal Activity
The main flight period is April to September; earlier start in Florida.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: The larvae feed on leaves of apple, beech, birch, hickory, oak, poplar, walnut.
Life History
One or two generations per year. Larva; pupa; adult
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Oedemasia leptinoides (Grote, 1864), n. comb. in Becker (2014) ( 3 ) , was formerly placed in the genus Schizura .
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Oedemasia leptinoides. 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 Black-blotched Prominent - Hodges#8011 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robin McLeod; Additional contributions by john and jane balaban , Steve Nanz , Tony-2 , Maury Heiman , Ethan Kistler , marcie oconnor , Steve Morris
Frequently Asked Questions About Black-blotched Prominent - Hodges#8011
What is Black-blotched Prominent - Hodges#8011?
Black-blotched Prominent - Hodges#8011 (Oedemasia leptinoides) is a species in the family Notodontidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Black-blotched Prominent - Hodges#8011?
Wingspan 35-42 mm. Grote & Robinson (1867) reported the wingspan of one male as 1.6".
How do you identify Black-blotched Prominent - Hodges#8011?
Adult: forewing medium to dark gray with a sharply defined dark basal streak , diffuse blackish blotch near center of wing and usually paler brownish shading toward inner margin; AM and PM lines double, indistinct; pale gray or whitish rectangular patch at apex; hindwing dirty white in male, and gray in female Larva: body brown with prominent humps on first, fifth, and eighth abdominal segments; head strongly mottled with pattern coalescing into broad diffuse band to either side of midline; dorsum of thorax with dark patch widening toward head; dorsum of sixth and seventh segments with pale chevron [description by David Wagner and Valerie Giles]
Where is Black-blotched Prominent - Hodges#8011 found?
Range: Canada: NS to BC; USA: ME south to southern FL west to MN and TX in wooded areas with a disjunct population in western SD. ( 4 ) Type locality ( leptinoides ): Middles States. Type locality ( mustelina ): Cambridge, MA.
What does Black-blotched Prominent - Hodges#8011 eat?
The diet of the Black-blotched Prominent - Hodges#8011 includes The larvae feed on leaves of apple, beech, birch, hickory, oak, poplar, walnut..
When is Black-blotched Prominent - Hodges#8011 active?
Black-blotched Prominent - Hodges#8011: seasonal activity - The main flight period is April to September; earlier start in Florida..
What is the life cycle of a Black-blotched Prominent - Hodges#8011?
One or two generations per year. Larva; pupa; adult