Sympistis benjamini - Hodges#10087
Sympistis benjamini
This record describes Sympistis benjamini (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Oncocnemidinae
- Genus
- Sympistis
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Desert
Geographic Range
Southern California , Nevada and Arizona. Holotype ♂ from Mohave County, Arizona in USNM (United States National Museum, Washington).
Seasonal Activity
The main flight period appears to be September to November. ( 3 )
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Lindsey (1923) stated "My attention has recently been called to two homonyms which I published while with Dr. Barnes. Mr. F.H. Benjamin points out that Oncociicmis punctilinca B.& L. (Bull. Brook. Ent. Soc. xvii, 71, 1922) is preoccupied by O. punctilinca Hampson. I propose the new name ONCOCNEMIS BENJAMINI for this species, in recognition of Mr. Benjamin's excellent work on the Noctuidae."
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Sympistis benjamini. 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 Sympistis benjamini - Hodges#10087 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Maury J. Heiman