Capps' Petrophila - Hodges#4772
Petrophila cappsi
This record describes Petrophila cappsi (species). Recorded family: Crambidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
FW basal and postmedian area speckled black on white; costal margin brown, especially in basal 1/3; median white line is flanked by yellow bands, the one on the basal side wider than the outer one; four yellow-orange bands in the outer FW along with two white apical and subapical wedges. HW white with a median area having a yellow band flanked outwardly by silver and outlined by dark brown; postmedian area white with a dark white-centered oval loop. Submarginal eyespots black with irridescent patches separating them from the black and orange terminal dashes. Thorax white with a dark brown central streak which may extend onto the orange and white banded abdomen. Probably forms a species group with Petrophila bifascialis , Petrophila kearfottalis , and possibly the newly described Petrophila cornvillia (Solis & Tuskes 2018) ( 3 ) based on HW patterns and certain aspects of male genitalia.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Pyraloidea
- Family
- Crambidae (Crambid Snout Moths)
- Subfamily
- Acentropinae
- Tribe
- Argyractini
- Genus
- Petrophila
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Described from Kerr Co., TX; ranges from the Texas Hill Country up into OK. Munroe's recitation of AZ in the range of this species applies to a new species ( P. cornvillia ) described from AZ by Solis & Tuskes in 2018. iNaturalist has records of P. cappsi only from Texas.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Petrophila cappsi. 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 Capps' Petrophila - Hodges#4772 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Bob Biagi; Additional contributions by Chuck Sexton
Frequently Asked Questions About Capps' Petrophila - Hodges#4772
What is Capps' Petrophila - Hodges#4772?
Capps' Petrophila - Hodges#4772 (Petrophila cappsi) is a species in the family Crambidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Capps' Petrophila - Hodges#4772?
FW basal and postmedian area speckled black on white; costal margin brown, especially in basal 1/3; median white line is flanked by yellow bands, the one on the basal side wider than the outer one; four yellow-orange bands in the outer FW along with two white apical and subapical wedges. HW white with a median area having a yellow band flanked outwardly by silver and outlined by dark brown; postmedian area white with a dark white-centered oval loop. Submarginal eyespots black with irridescent patches separating them from the black and orange terminal dashes. Thorax white with a dark brown central streak which may extend onto the orange and white banded abdomen.
Where is Capps' Petrophila - Hodges#4772 found?
Range: Described from Kerr Co., TX; ranges from the Texas Hill Country up into OK. Munroe's recitation of AZ in the range of this species applies to a new species ( P. cornvillia ) described from AZ by Solis & Tuskes in 2018. iNaturalist has records of P. cappsi only from Texas.