Symmerista zacualpana - Hodges#7955
Symmerista zacualpana
This record describes Symmerista zacualpana (species). Recorded family: Notodontidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Specimen identified by DNA analysis (BOLD). ( 3 )
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
Geographic Range
New Mexico to southern California; Mexico. ( 4 ) , ( 5 ) Holotype collected in Arizona; Santa Cruz County; Pena Blanca, Nogales, J.H. Hessel, 1967.
Seasonal Activity
The adults appear to be most common from June to October. ( 4 )
Diet and Behavior
Diet: The larval host plant includes Quercus L. (oak).
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Zacualpan is a town in Mexico.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Symmerista zacualpana. 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 Symmerista zacualpana - Hodges#7955 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Maury J. Heiman
Frequently Asked Questions About Symmerista zacualpana - Hodges#7955
What is Symmerista zacualpana - Hodges#7955?
Symmerista zacualpana - Hodges#7955 (Symmerista zacualpana) is a species in the family Notodontidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Symmerista zacualpana - Hodges#7955?
Specimen identified by DNA analysis (BOLD). ( 3 )
Where is Symmerista zacualpana - Hodges#7955 found?
Range: New Mexico to southern California; Mexico. ( 4 ) , ( 5 ) Holotype collected in Arizona; Santa Cruz County; Pena Blanca, Nogales, J.H. Hessel, 1967.
What does Symmerista zacualpana - Hodges#7955 eat?
The diet of the Symmerista zacualpana - Hodges#7955 includes The larval host plant includes Quercus L. (oak)..
When is Symmerista zacualpana - Hodges#7955 active?
Symmerista zacualpana - Hodges#7955: seasonal activity - The adults appear to be most common from June to October. ( 4 ).