Feather-edged Petrophila - Hodges#4777
Petrophila fulicalis
This record describes Petrophila fulicalis (species). Recorded family: Crambidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adults - forewing ground color white but mostly obscured by grayish-brown bands and dark speckling; narrow white median band across forewing is jagged near costa; three indistinct dark spots form a triangle in postmedian area; diffuse dark band across AM area; two white converging strips project inward from costa near apex; terminal band orangish, widening toward apex; hindwing white with diffuse dark median band, patch of dark speckling in postmedian area, and line of black marginal spots with a narrow dark capline over some of them. See Heppner's description
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
Habitat
larvae live in silken webs attached to rocks in fast-flowing steams
Geographic Range
Northeastern U.S., west to Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri, south the Tennessee and n. Alabama, possibly North Carolina. Reported in Canada but specimens and images seem to be lacking. Disjunct in eastern Oklahoma and a large swath of central Texas; one report just across Rio Grande in Mexico. Range overlaps broadly in Northeast with Canadian Petrophila but seems not to overlap much if at all with Ozark Petrophila (MO, AR, OK) or Heppner's Petrophila (Texas Hill Country).
Seasonal Activity
adults fly from late May to October
Diet and Behavior
Diet: like other members of the genus, larvae probably feed on diatoms and algae scraped from rocks in streams
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: FULICALIS: the Latin word for a coot is fulica ; I don't know how or whether this relates to the moth
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Petrophila fulicalis. 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 Feather-edged Petrophila - Hodges#4777 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robin McLeod; Additional contributions by Mike Quinn , Chuck Sexton , KenW , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Feather-edged Petrophila - Hodges#4777
What is Feather-edged Petrophila - Hodges#4777?
Feather-edged Petrophila - Hodges#4777 (Petrophila fulicalis) is a species in the family Crambidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Feather-edged Petrophila - Hodges#4777?
wingspan 13-18 mm, based on two Internet photos by Jim Vargo and John Glaser
How do you identify Feather-edged Petrophila - Hodges#4777?
Adults - forewing ground color white but mostly obscured by grayish-brown bands and dark speckling; narrow white median band across forewing is jagged near costa; three indistinct dark spots form a triangle in postmedian area; diffuse dark band across AM area; two white converging strips project inward from costa near apex; terminal band orangish, widening toward apex; hindwing white with diffuse dark median band, patch of dark speckling in postmedian area, and line of black marginal spots with a narrow dark capline over some of them. See Heppner's description
Where is Feather-edged Petrophila - Hodges#4777 found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | larvae live in silken webs attached to rocks in fast-flowing steams |
| Range | Northeastern U.S., west to Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri, south the Tennessee and n. Alabama, possibly North Carolina. Reported in Canada but specimens and images seem to be lacking. Disjunct in eastern Oklahoma and a large swath of central Texas; one report just across Rio Grande in Mexico. Range overlaps broadly in Northeast with Canadian Petrophila but seems not to overlap much if at all with Ozark Petrophila (MO, AR, OK) or Heppner's Petrophila (Texas Hill Country). |
What does Feather-edged Petrophila - Hodges#4777 eat?
The diet of the Feather-edged Petrophila - Hodges#4777 includes like other members of the genus, larvae probably feed on diatoms and algae scraped from rocks in streams.
When is Feather-edged Petrophila - Hodges#4777 active?
Feather-edged Petrophila - Hodges#4777: seasonal activity - adults fly from late May to October.