Pseudosphex leovazquezae - Hodges#8276.2
Pseudosphex leovazquezae
This record describes Pseudosphex leovazquezae (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Previous U.S. Records: TEXAS: Hidalgo Co., Santa Ana Refuge, November 13, 1971 (1 female) TEXAS: Hidalgo Co., Santa Ana Refuge, September 23, 1973 (1 male) - both specimens collected by A. & M. E. Blanchard and deposited in the USNM. Subsequent records: TEXAS: Hidalgo Co., Mission, October 18, 2007 (spmn in the Texas Lepidoptera Survey Collection) TEXAS: Hidalgo Co., Casa Santa Ana B&B, November, 29, 2016 ( photographed by John S Christensen)
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Erebidae
- Subfamily
- Arctiinae
- Tribe
- Arctiini
- Genus
- Pseudosphex
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
southmost Texas (Hidalgo Co.) to C. Amer. - Map (MPG),(Donahue 1993)
Seasonal Activity
Texas records: Sept-Nov.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
Frequently taken at lights in eastern to southern Mexico (Hernández-Baz, 2012)
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Patronym for Leo Vazquez?
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Pseudosphex leovazquezae. 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 Pseudosphex leovazquezae - Hodges#8276.2 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Mike Quinn
Frequently Asked Questions About Pseudosphex leovazquezae - Hodges#8276.2
What is Pseudosphex leovazquezae - Hodges#8276.2?
Pseudosphex leovazquezae - Hodges#8276.2 (Pseudosphex leovazquezae) is a species in the family Erebidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Pseudosphex leovazquezae - Hodges#8276.2 found?
Range: southmost Texas (Hidalgo Co.) to C. Amer. - Map (MPG),(Donahue 1993)
When is Pseudosphex leovazquezae - Hodges#8276.2 active?
Pseudosphex leovazquezae - Hodges#8276.2: seasonal activity - Texas records: Sept-Nov..
What is the life cycle of a Pseudosphex leovazquezae - Hodges#8276.2?
Frequently taken at lights in eastern to southern Mexico (Hernández-Baz, 2012)