Lobesia carduana - Hodges#2728
Paralobesia carduana
This record describes Paralobesia carduana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Tortricoidea
- Family
- Tortricidae (Tortricid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Olethreutinae
- Tribe
- Olethreutini
- Genus
- Paralobesia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Records from Iowa to Maine, south to North Carolina and Tennessee. Type locality: Hyattsville, MD.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae feed on thistle ( Carduus ).
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet for the host plant genus ( Carduus ). Paralobesia carduana (Busck, 1907) is transferred from the genus Lobesia in Royals et al. (2019), Mem. Lepid. Soc., (6): 33.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Paralobesia carduana. 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 Lobesia carduana - Hodges#2728 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by tom murray; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz , Beatriz Moisset , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Lobesia carduana - Hodges#2728
How big is Lobesia carduana - Hodges#2728?
Wingspan 9-12 mm. ,
Where is Lobesia carduana - Hodges#2728 found?
Range: Records from Iowa to Maine, south to North Carolina and Tennessee. Type locality: Hyattsville, MD.
What does Lobesia carduana - Hodges#2728 eat?
The diet of the Lobesia carduana - Hodges#2728 includes Larvae feed on thistle ( Carduus )..