Pygarctia flavidorsalis - Hodges#8253.1
Pygarctia flavidorsalis
This record describes Pygarctia flavidorsalis (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult - wings and thorax white; head, abdomen, and femora orange; tarsi black; antennae black, pectinate. I have found the head, abdomen and femora to be yellow. A. Hendrickson
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Erebidae
- Subfamily
- Arctiinae
- Tribe
- Arctiini
- Genus
- Pygarctia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Arizona and Texas. Type locality: San Benito, Texas.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Pygarctia flavidorsalis. 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 Pygarctia flavidorsalis - Hodges#8253.1 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Cotinis; Additional contributions by Robin McLeod , Maury Heiman , Randy Hardy , A. Hendrickson
Frequently Asked Questions About Pygarctia flavidorsalis - Hodges#8253.1
What is Pygarctia flavidorsalis - Hodges#8253.1?
Pygarctia flavidorsalis - Hodges#8253.1 (Pygarctia flavidorsalis) is a species in the family Erebidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Pygarctia flavidorsalis - Hodges#8253.1?
Wingspan: ♂ 30 mm, ♀ 32 mm.
How do you identify Pygarctia flavidorsalis - Hodges#8253.1?
Adult - wings and thorax white; head, abdomen, and femora orange; tarsi black; antennae black, pectinate.
Where is Pygarctia flavidorsalis - Hodges#8253.1 found?
Range: Arizona and Texas. Type locality: San Benito, Texas.