Schinia suetus - Hodges#11088
Schinia suetus
This record describes Schinia suetus (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult: forewing yellowish-gray with black speckling and lopsided whitish Y-shaped patch in median area; small triangular pale patch sometimes present in AM area near costa; hindwing black with two large white spots in median area and pale fringe. Reddish form once considered subspecies.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Heliothinae
- Genus
- Schinia (Flower Moths)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
western North Americia: British Columbia to California, east to Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico
Diet and Behavior
Diet: larvae feed on lupine ( Lupinus spp.)
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Current name based on Hodges et al.; ; alternate spelling used by some: Schinia suetus .
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Schinia suetus. 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 Schinia suetus - Hodges#11088 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Cotinis; Additional contributions by Robin McLeod , Hartmut Wisch , Maury Heiman , Chris Grinter , Steve Morris
Frequently Asked Questions About Schinia suetus - Hodges#11088
What is Schinia suetus - Hodges#11088?
Schinia suetus - Hodges#11088 (Schinia suetus) is a species in the family Noctuidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Schinia suetus - Hodges#11088?
Adult: forewing yellowish-gray with black speckling and lopsided whitish Y-shaped patch in median area; small triangular pale patch sometimes present in AM area near costa; hindwing black with two large white spots in median area and pale fringe. Reddish form once considered subspecies.
Where is Schinia suetus - Hodges#11088 found?
Range: western North Americia: British Columbia to California, east to Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico
What does Schinia suetus - Hodges#11088 eat?
The diet of the Schinia suetus - Hodges#11088 includes larvae feed on lupine ( Lupinus spp.).