Yarrow Leaf Plume Moth - Hodges#6166
Oidaematophorus mathewianus
This record describes Oidaematophorus mathewianus (species). Recorded family: Pterophoridae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Additional details | Male reddish-brown; female almost entirely white. Both vary greatly. |
| Wings | Wings: Female white with a few faint dark scales; sometimes a small dark mark on inner margin which may reach base of cleft or split in wings. Outer (costal) margin has a few to many sprinkles of light brown flecks. Male pale brownish-red, with heavy dusting of white scales. Small dark brown spot 1/3 from base (discal cell), and another larger mark at base of cleft or spilt in wings, extending to inner margin. Outer (costal) margin has two black marks, separated by whitish near wing tip. Inner different. |
| Abdomen | Abdomen: Female white with a few darker scales. Male brownish-red, often darker down center, forming dots or squares with white scales along lower margin of segment sides. Types: Holotype as Leioptilus mathewianus male by Zeller, 1874. Type Locality: British Columbia. In the British Museum of Natural History, London, England. Apparently there were 4 type specimens in British Museum, all in bad shape. Holotype as Pterophorus gorgoniensis by Grinnell, 1908. Type Locality: California. In the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, Riverside, California. Holotype as Pterophorus hilda by Grinnell, 1908. Type Locality: California. In the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, Riverside, California. |
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Pterophoroidea
- Family
- Pterophoridae (Plume Moths)
- Subfamily
- Pterophorinae
- Tribe
- Oidaematophorini
- Genus
- Oidaematophorus
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Forest edges and meadows.
Seasonal Activity
June to July; again September in s. w. Ontario.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Yarrow Achillea millefolium leaves per Matthews.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Oidaematophorus mathewianus. 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 Yarrow Leaf Plume Moth - Hodges#6166 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Jason J. Dombroskie; Additional contributions by lee_penner , treichard
Frequently Asked Questions About Yarrow Leaf Plume Moth - Hodges#6166
What is Yarrow Leaf Plume Moth - Hodges#6166?
Yarrow Leaf Plume Moth - Hodges#6166 (Oidaematophorus mathewianus) is a species in the family Pterophoridae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Yarrow Leaf Plume Moth - Hodges#6166?
21-26 mm. wingspan. 10 to 13 mm long.
How do you identify Yarrow Leaf Plume Moth - Hodges#6166?
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Additional details | Male reddish-brown; female almost entirely white. Both vary greatly. |
| Wings | Wings: Female white with a few faint dark scales; sometimes a small dark mark on inner margin which may reach base of cleft or split in wings. Outer (costal) margin has a few to many sprinkles of light brown flecks. Male pale brownish-red, with heavy dusting of white scales. Small dark brown spot 1/3 from base (discal cell), and another larger mark at base of cleft or spilt in wings, extending to inner margin. Outer (costal) margin has two black marks, separated by whitish near wing tip. Inner different. |
| Abdomen | Abdomen: Female white with a few darker scales. Male brownish-red, often darker down center, forming dots or squares with white scales along lower margin of segment sides. |
Where is Yarrow Leaf Plume Moth - Hodges#6166 found?
Habitat: Forest edges and meadows.
What does Yarrow Leaf Plume Moth - Hodges#6166 eat?
The diet of the Yarrow Leaf Plume Moth - Hodges#6166 includes Yarrow Achillea millefolium leaves per Matthews..
When is Yarrow Leaf Plume Moth - Hodges#6166 active?
Yarrow Leaf Plume Moth - Hodges#6166: seasonal activity - June to July; again September in s. w. Ontario..