The Skunk - Hodges#1058
Polix coloradella
This record describes Polix coloradella (species). Recorded family: Oecophoridae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Additional details | Adult - forewing black with white strip beginning on top of head and continuing along inner margin, bending 45 degrees near anal angle and extending almost half-way to apex. |
| Head | Head: Pale yellow to yellowish-white. Antenna: Grayish-brown, with faint paler rings. |
| Thorax | Thorax: Gray-brown, outlined in pale yellow to yellowish-white. |
| Wings | Wings: Forewings long, wide at tips. Grayish-brown, slightly speckled with creamy-white. Inner margin has yellow stripe. With wings closed, stripe continues from yellow thorax edge to anal angle where it forms a crescent shape on each wing. Fringe same as wing color. |
| Hindwings | Hindwings and fringe paler than forewings. Note: In Colorado and California, the stripe down the center is faint to absent. |
| Legs | Legs: Dark grayish-brown. |
| Abdomen | Abdomen: Dark grayish-brown. Types: Holotype as Oecophora coloradella male by Walsingham, 1888. Locality: Colorado, a single specimen collected by Mons. Ragonot. In the British National Museum of Natural History, London, England. Holotype as Schiffermuelleria rostrigera female by Meyrick, 1916. Locality: Muskoka Lake, Ontario collected by Parish in July. Museum unknown. |
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Gelechioidea
- Family
- Oecophoridae (Concealer Moths)
- Subfamily
- Oecophorinae
- Tribe
- Oecophorini
- Genus
- Polix
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Boreal forests. Farms.
Geographic Range
Scattered records from coast to coast in the US and Canada. ( 4 )
Seasonal Activity
Adults fly in June and July, and may be attracted to light.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae feed on fungus in rotting wood, , particularly Bull’s Eye Rot Neofabraea perennans - a canker on Apples Malus , Pear Pyrus and Serviceberry Amelanchier .
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet for the type location Colorado.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Polix coloradella. 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 The Skunk - Hodges#1058 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robin McLeod; Additional contributions by Randy Hardy , Fyn Kynd , lee_penner , Steve Morris
Frequently Asked Questions About The Skunk - Hodges#1058
What is The Skunk - Hodges#1058?
The Skunk - Hodges#1058 (Polix coloradella) is a species in the family Oecophoridae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is The Skunk - Hodges#1058?
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Additional details | 9 to 12 mm long. |
| Forewing | Forewing length 7.5-9.3 mm, rarely 6.7mm. |
| Forewing | forewing length = 5.5-9.5 mm |
How do you identify The Skunk - Hodges#1058?
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Additional details | Adult - forewing black with white strip beginning on top of head and continuing along inner margin, bending 45 degrees near anal angle and extending almost half-way to apex. |
| Head | Head: Pale yellow to yellowish-white. Antenna: Grayish-brown, with faint paler rings. |
| Thorax | Thorax: Gray-brown, outlined in pale yellow to yellowish-white. |
| Wings | Wings: Forewings long, wide at tips. Grayish-brown, slightly speckled with creamy-white. Inner margin has yellow stripe. With wings closed, stripe continues from yellow thorax edge to anal angle where it forms a crescent shape on each wing. Fringe same as wing color. |
| Hindwings | Hindwings and fringe paler than forewings. Note: In Colorado and California, the stripe down the center is faint to absent. |
| Legs | Legs: Dark grayish-brown. |
| Abdomen | Abdomen: Dark grayish-brown. |
Where is The Skunk - Hodges#1058 found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Boreal forests. Farms. |
| Range | Scattered records from coast to coast in the US and Canada. ( 4 ) |
What does The Skunk - Hodges#1058 eat?
The diet of the The Skunk - Hodges#1058 includes Larvae feed on fungus in rotting wood, , particularly Bull’s Eye Rot Neofabraea perennans - a canker on Apples Malus , Pear Pyrus and Serviceberry Amelanchier ..
When is The Skunk - Hodges#1058 active?
The Skunk - Hodges#1058: seasonal activity - Adults fly in June and July, and may be attracted to light..