Watermilfoil Leafcutter - Hodges#4764
Parapoynx allionealis
This record describes Parapoynx allionealis (species). Recorded family: Crambidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
The caterpillars live in portable cases made of many pieces of plant material.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Pyraloidea
- Family
- Crambidae (Crambid Snout Moths)
- Subfamily
- Acentropinae
- Tribe
- Nymphulini
- Genus
- Parapoynx
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Adults have been recorded on wing year round in the southern part of the range.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Caterpillars feed on various aquatic plants, e.g. white waterlily ( Nymphaea odorata , floating pondweed ( Potamogeton natans ), small pondweed ( P. pusillus ), Eurasian watermilfoil ( Myriophyllum spicatum ), broadleaf watermilfoil ( M. heterophyllum ), southern watergrass ( Hydrochtoa caroliniensis ), spikerush ( Eleocharis vivipara , floating bladderwort ( Utricularia inflata ), and salvinia ( Salvinia rotundifolia ).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Parapoynx allionealis. 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 Watermilfoil Leafcutter - Hodges#4764 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Troy Bartlett; Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott , Jeff Hollenbeck , Maury Heiman , ceiseman , Robert Lord Zimlich , Fyn Kynd
Frequently Asked Questions About Watermilfoil Leafcutter - Hodges#4764
What is Watermilfoil Leafcutter - Hodges#4764?
Watermilfoil Leafcutter - Hodges#4764 (Parapoynx allionealis) is a species in the family Crambidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Watermilfoil Leafcutter - Hodges#4764 found?
Range: Adults have been recorded on wing year round in the southern part of the range.
What does Watermilfoil Leafcutter - Hodges#4764 eat?
The diet of the Watermilfoil Leafcutter - Hodges#4764 includes Caterpillars feed on various aquatic plants, e.g. white waterlily ( Nymphaea odorata , floating pondweed ( Potamogeton natans ), small pondweed ( P. pusillus ), Eurasian watermilfoil ( Myriophyllum spicatum ), broadleaf watermilfoil ( M. heterophyllum ), southern watergrass ( Hydrochtoa caroliniensis ), spikerush ( Eleocharis vivipara , floating bladderwort ( Utricularia inflata ), and salvinia ( Salvinia rotundifolia )..