Oiketicus townsendi - Hodges#0453
Oiketicus townsendi
This record describes Oiketicus townsendi (species). Recorded family: Psychidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Tineoidea
- Family
- Psychidae (Bagworm Moths)
- Subfamily
- Oiketicinae
- Genus
- Oiketicus
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Trans-Pecos region of Texas and west to Arizona
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larval hosts include Mesquite, Prosopis Locust, Robinia sp.
Life History
Overwinters as larva and then feeds briefly in Spring before pupating April to May.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Oiketicus townsendi. 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 Oiketicus townsendi - Hodges#0453 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Maury J. Heiman
Frequently Asked Questions About Oiketicus townsendi - Hodges#0453
Where is Oiketicus townsendi - Hodges#0453 found?
Range: Trans-Pecos region of Texas and west to Arizona
What does Oiketicus townsendi - Hodges#0453 eat?
The diet of the Oiketicus townsendi - Hodges#0453 includes Larval hosts include Mesquite, Prosopis Locust, Robinia sp..
What is the life cycle of a Oiketicus townsendi - Hodges#0453?
Overwinters as larva and then feeds briefly in Spring before pupating April to May.