Dot-lined Angle - Hodges#6332
Psamatodes abydata
This record describes Psamatodes abydata (species). Recorded family: Geometridae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult - forewing speckled light yellowish- or grayish-brown with darker shading in subterminal area; PM line slightly scalloped, with dark dots at tips of scallops; AM and median lines brown, slightly irregular/wavy; discal spot a short oblique dash, faint or inconspicuous; terminal line a series of black dots; hindwing similarly colored but with prominent black discal spot, no AM line, and obvious point in wing about mid-way along outer margin; collar a thin black band; top of head reddish-orange.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Geometroidea
- Family
- Geometridae (Geometrid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Ennominae
- Tribe
- Macariini
- Genus
- Psamatodes
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Southern states from Arizona to Florida, regularly wandering north to Colorado, Kentucky, and other more northern states.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larval hosts are sweet acacia ( Acacia farnesiana ), riverhemp ( Sesbania ), Jerusalem thorn ( Parkinsonia aculeata ), soybean ( Glycine max ) (Ferguson, 2008).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Psamatodes abydata. 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 Dot-lined Angle - Hodges#6332 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robin McLeod; Additional contributions by Maury Heiman , ceiseman , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Dot-lined Angle - Hodges#6332
What is Dot-lined Angle - Hodges#6332?
Dot-lined Angle - Hodges#6332 (Psamatodes abydata) is a species in the family Geometridae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Dot-lined Angle - Hodges#6332?
Wingspan about 22-27 mm.
How do you identify Dot-lined Angle - Hodges#6332?
Adult - forewing speckled light yellowish- or grayish-brown with darker shading in subterminal area; PM line slightly scalloped, with dark dots at tips of scallops; AM and median lines brown, slightly irregular/wavy; discal spot a short oblique dash, faint or inconspicuous; terminal line a series of black dots; hindwing similarly colored but with prominent black discal spot, no AM line, and obvious point in wing about mid-way along outer margin; collar a thin black band; top of head reddish-orange.
Where is Dot-lined Angle - Hodges#6332 found?
Range: Southern states from Arizona to Florida, regularly wandering north to Colorado, Kentucky, and other more northern states.
What does Dot-lined Angle - Hodges#6332 eat?
The diet of the Dot-lined Angle - Hodges#6332 includes Larval hosts are sweet acacia ( Acacia farnesiana ), riverhemp ( Sesbania ), Jerusalem thorn ( Parkinsonia aculeata ), soybean ( Glycine max ) (Ferguson, 2008)..