Black-tipped Rudenia Moth - Hodges#3839
Rudenia leguminana
This record describes Rudenia leguminana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Rudenia leguminana is a complex, see Brown et al. (2011) in Print References below. As of 11/28/2018, BOLD shows 9 BINs forming a single branch in the taxon tree as follows: BOLD:ACF0688 - 26 specimens from AZ, NM, CA BOLD:AAA9782 - 22 specimens from OK (includes those by Mark Dreiling), TX, KS, LA, VA (near type locality, Washington D.C.), FL BOLD:ABY4572 - 3 specimens from Guatemala BOLD:AAA9778 - 3 specimens from Venezuela BOLD:ACF0686 - 2 specimens from Mexico BOLD:ACE9499 - 1 specimens from Mexico BOLD:AAH4810 - 3 specimens from AZ (similar to USNM and Carol Wolf images at MPG) BOLD:AAA9779 - 1 specimens from Venezuela BOLD:ABZ6331 - 2 specimens from Costa Rica
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Tortricoidea
- Family
- Tortricidae (Tortricid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Tortricinae
- Tribe
- Cochylini
- Genus
- Rudenia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Southern Connecticut to Florida, and from the midwestern U.S. to California. Common in the arid southwest (Brown et al. , 2011).
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae have been reared on a variety of Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae) throughout the Americas, including Acacias, Locusts, Mesquites, and Palo Verdes. Known hosts present in the U.S. include Honey Mesquite ( Prosopis glandulosa ) and Mexican Palo Verde ( Parkinsonia aculeata ) (Brown et al. , 2011). Busck (1907) reported larvae feeding on pods of Honey Locust ( Gleditsia japonica [= Gleditschia horrida ]).
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: From Latin legumen- "pod, type of plant that has pods". The type specimens were found feeding in pods as larvae and were reared to adulthood.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Rudenia leguminana. 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 Black-tipped Rudenia Moth - Hodges#3839 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Chuck Entz; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz , Maury Heiman , Randy Hardy , Kyhl Austin
Frequently Asked Questions About Black-tipped Rudenia Moth - Hodges#3839
What is Black-tipped Rudenia Moth - Hodges#3839?
Black-tipped Rudenia Moth - Hodges#3839 (Rudenia leguminana) is a species in the family Tortricidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Black-tipped Rudenia Moth - Hodges#3839?
Forewing length 6-7 mm.
Where is Black-tipped Rudenia Moth - Hodges#3839 found?
Range: Southern Connecticut to Florida, and from the midwestern U.S. to California. Common in the arid southwest (Brown et al. , 2011).
What does Black-tipped Rudenia Moth - Hodges#3839 eat?
The diet of the Black-tipped Rudenia Moth - Hodges#3839 includes Larvae have been reared on a variety of Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae) throughout the Americas, including Acacias, Locusts, Mesquites, and Palo Verdes. Known hosts present in the U.S. include Honey Mesquite ( Prosopis glandulosa ) and Mexican Palo Verde ( Parkinsonia aculeata ) (Brown et al. , 2011). Busck (1907) reported larvae feeding on pods of Honey Locust ( Gleditsia japonica [= Gleditschia horrida ])..