Pyrausta obtusanalis - Hodges#5072
Pyrausta obtusanalis
This record describes Pyrausta obtusanalis (species). Recorded family: Crambidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Primaries dark chrome-yellow, shaded with brown, with a brown line crossing the middle of the wing from the costal to the inner margin, and a rather wide pinkish-brown submarginal line extending from the apex to the anal angle, the fringe brown; secondaries pale yellowish-white, darker round the outer margin: (head wanting), thorax, abdomen, and legs pale brown. Type locality: Mexico, Jalapa
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Pyraloidea
- Family
- Crambidae (Crambid Snout Moths)
- Subfamily
- Pyraustinae
- Tribe
- Pyraustini
- Genus
- Pyrausta
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Pyrausta obtusanalis. 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 Pyrausta obtusanalis - Hodges#5072 (4)
Photo credits: Contributed by Kyhl Austin; Additional contributions by Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Pyrausta obtusanalis - Hodges#5072
What is Pyrausta obtusanalis - Hodges#5072?
Pyrausta obtusanalis - Hodges#5072 (Pyrausta obtusanalis) is a species in the family Crambidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Pyrausta obtusanalis - Hodges#5072?
Expanse: 25 mm.
How do you identify Pyrausta obtusanalis - Hodges#5072?
Primaries dark chrome-yellow, shaded with brown, with a brown line crossing the middle of the wing from the costal to the inner margin, and a rather wide pinkish-brown submarginal line extending from the apex to the anal angle, the fringe brown; secondaries pale yellowish-white, darker round the outer margin: (head wanting), thorax, abdomen, and legs pale brown.