LepidopteraGelechiidae – Twirler Moths

Polyhymno n. sp. 2

Polyhymno n-sp-two

This record describes Polyhymno n-sp-two (unresolved taxon). Recorded family: Gelechiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Polyhymno n. sp. 2 - Polyhymno n-sp-two — Contributed by Steve Nanz

Thorax white with a wide solid brown central stripe. Specimens in BINs AAU7762 and ACR1616 show a solid brown dorsal stripe; specimens in BIN AAU7762 show dorsum more pale and mixed with white outwardly. cf. BIN: AAU7762 cf. BIN: AAU7762

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily: Gelechioidea
Family: Gelechiidae (Twirler Moths)
Subfamily: Thiotrichinae
Genus: Polyhymno

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Geographic Range

BOLD:AAU7762: TX, OK. BOLD:ACR1616: southern UT. BOLD:AAU7762: MS, AL, FL.

Additional species information

Species notes from the sources

Etymology: Polyhymno n. sp. 2 is a represented at BOLD by BINs AAU7762 and ACR1616 and may represent two cryptic species, possibly undescribed.

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Polyhymno n-sp-two. 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.

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