Mousey Tiger Moth - Hodges#8250
Pygarctia murina
This record describes Pygarctia murina (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Larva - typical wooly bear type of this group. Ground color purple-brown or blue-gray, a narrow lemon yellow subdorsal stripe, a wide yellow stripe below spiracles, black pencil tufts and longer white hairs, head dark orange with orange hairs (adapted from Comstock & Dammers).
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
Southern Texas west to southeastern California, southwest Utah, southern Colorado.
Seasonal Activity
A single flight from late July to September.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Henne found them on a "errect red-stemmed" spurge ( Euphorbia ) in California and reared them on twinevive ( Funastrum, =Philibertia ) and spurge (Comstock & Dammers, 1935).
Life History
Pupation occurs in a silk cocoon within surface debris (Comstock & Dammers, 1935).
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific name murina is Latin for "mouse".
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Pygarctia murina. 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 Mousey Tiger Moth - Hodges#8250 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by John F. Carr; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Mousey Tiger Moth - Hodges#8250
What is Mousey Tiger Moth - Hodges#8250?
Mousey Tiger Moth - Hodges#8250 (Pygarctia murina) is a species in the family Erebidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Mousey Tiger Moth - Hodges#8250?
Forewing length 13-16 mm. Larvae mature to 22 mm (Comstock & Dammers, 1935). Pupa 11 mm (Comstock & Dammers, 1935).
How do you identify Mousey Tiger Moth - Hodges#8250?
Larva - typical wooly bear type of this group. Ground color purple-brown or blue-gray, a narrow lemon yellow subdorsal stripe, a wide yellow stripe below spiracles, black pencil tufts and longer white hairs, head dark orange with orange hairs (adapted from Comstock & Dammers).
Where is Mousey Tiger Moth - Hodges#8250 found?
Range: Southern Texas west to southeastern California, southwest Utah, southern Colorado.
What does Mousey Tiger Moth - Hodges#8250 eat?
The diet of the Mousey Tiger Moth - Hodges#8250 includes Henne found them on a errect red-stemmed spurge ( Euphorbia ) in California and reared them on twinevive ( Funastrum, =Philibertia ) and spurge (Comstock & Dammers, 1935)..
When is Mousey Tiger Moth - Hodges#8250 active?
Mousey Tiger Moth - Hodges#8250: seasonal activity - A single flight from late July to September..
What is the life cycle of a Mousey Tiger Moth - Hodges#8250?
Pupation occurs in a silk cocoon within surface debris (Comstock & Dammers, 1935).