Operophtera occidentalis - Hodges#7438
Operophtera occidentalis
This record describes Operophtera occidentalis (species). Recorded family: Geometridae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Geometroidea
- Family
- Geometridae (Geometrid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Larentiinae
- Tribe
- Operophterini
- Genus
- Operophtera
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
West of the Cascade mountains in Oregon, WA, and British Columbia (Gwiazdowski et al. 2013)
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Operophtera bruceata occidentalis (Hulst, 1896), listed in the 1983 Hodges Checklist as a full species, was synonymized as a subspecies of Operophtera bruceata (Hulst, 1886) in Troubridge & Fitzpatrick. This species is treated as a full species in Pohl et al. (unpublished provisional checklist) and Pohl et al. following findings in Gwiazdowski et al., Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 106: 143-151.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Operophtera occidentalis. 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 Operophtera occidentalis - Hodges#7438 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Steve Nanz; Additional contributions by john and jane balaban