Cottonwood Leafminer Moth - Hodges#0475
Paraleucoptera albella
This record describes Paraleucoptera albella (species). Recorded family: Lyonetiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wikipedia reference for Paraleucoptera albella: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucoptera_albella.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Yponomeutoidea
- Family
- Lyonetiidae (Lyonet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Cemiostominae
- Genus
- Paraleucoptera
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Eastern North America; California to British Columbia. , Holotype ♂, Kentucky, USNM (National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC).
Seasonal Activity
The main flight period is March to September.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: The larvae are leaf miners on Populus deltoides (cottonwood) (Salicaceae).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Paraleucoptera albella. 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 Cottonwood Leafminer Moth - Hodges#0475 (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Maury J. Heiman
Frequently Asked Questions About Cottonwood Leafminer Moth - Hodges#0475
Where is Cottonwood Leafminer Moth - Hodges#0475 found?
Range: Eastern North America; California to British Columbia. , Holotype ♂, Kentucky, USNM (National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC).
What does Cottonwood Leafminer Moth - Hodges#0475 eat?
The diet of the Cottonwood Leafminer Moth - Hodges#0475 includes The larvae are leaf miners on Populus deltoides (cottonwood) (Salicaceae)..
When is Cottonwood Leafminer Moth - Hodges#0475 active?
Cottonwood Leafminer Moth - Hodges#0475: seasonal activity - The main flight period is March to September..