LepidopteraNotodontidae – Prominent Moths

White-headed Prominent - Hodges#7951

Symmerista albifrons

This record describes Symmerista albifrons (species). Recorded family: Notodontidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

White-headed Prominent - Hodges#7951 - Symmerista albifrons — Contributed by Cotinis; Additional contributions by Mike Boone , Marci Hess , JoAnneRusso , Robert H. Biagi , Steve Morris

Creamy mark on forewing is distinctive, apparently. Listed as common. comparison of 8th sternite - scales brushed off. comparison of genitalia dissection - in albifrons, apex of the large bilobed process greatly exceeds the apex of the small simple process whereas in leucitys the two apexes are subequal Genitalia:

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Notodontidae (Prominent Moths)
Subfamily: Nystaleinae
Genus: Symmerista

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Habitat

Deciduous forests and adjacent areas

Seasonal Activity

March-October

Diet and Behavior

Life History

Larvae feed on oaks. 2 generations per year

Additional species information

Species notes from the sources

Etymology: Species name is albi Latin white, plus frons Latin forehead. (Based on Internet searches.)

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Symmerista albifrons. 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.

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