Putnam's Looper - Hodges#8950
Plusia putnami
This record describes Plusia putnami (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Plusiinae
- Tribe
- Plusiini
- Genus
- Plusia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Grassy clearings, woodland edges, wet meadows and wetland margins.
Geographic Range
Nova Scotia to Alberta; Maine to Rocky Mountains, south to Virginia in the East, to Colorado in the West. ( 3 )
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Grasses (Tietz,1972), sedges and Sparganium sp. ( 4 )
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Plusia putnami. 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 Putnam's Looper - Hodges#8950 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Tom Bentley; Additional contributions by Tony-2 , Maury Heiman , marcie oconnor , Randy Hardy , Fyn Kynd , Steve Morris
Frequently Asked Questions About Putnam's Looper - Hodges#8950
How big is Putnam's Looper - Hodges#8950?
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | Wingspan 30-32 mm. |
| Forewing | Forewing length 13-17 mm |
Where is Putnam's Looper - Hodges#8950 found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Grassy clearings, woodland edges, wet meadows and wetland margins. |
| Range | Nova Scotia to Alberta; Maine to Rocky Mountains, south to Virginia in the East, to Colorado in the West. ( 3 ) |
What does Putnam's Looper - Hodges#8950 eat?
The diet of the Putnam's Looper - Hodges#8950 includes Grasses (Tietz,1972), sedges and Sparganium sp. ( 4 ).