Epigaea Looper - Hodges#8927
Syngrapha epigaea
This record describes Syngrapha epigaea (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
- Plusiinae
- Tribe
- Plusiini
- Genus
- Syngrapha
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
From Newfoundland, west across the southern Boreal forest to Yukon Territory and western British Columbia, south to Pennsylvania and Ohio in the east and Colorado and Oregon in the west (E.H. Strickland Museum). Also found locally at high elevations in the Appalachians.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Blueberry ( Vaccinium spp.), including commercial blueberry fields. It will switch to Kalmia angustifolia and a variety of trees and shrubs in the fall when blueberry becomes less palatable (E.H. Strickland Museum).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Syngrapha epigaea. 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 Epigaea Looper - Hodges#8927 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Cotinis; Additional contributions by Tony-2 , Randy Hardy , dennepj10
Frequently Asked Questions About Epigaea Looper - Hodges#8927
How big is Epigaea Looper - Hodges#8927?
wingspam 39-40 mm (E.H. Strickland Museum)
Where is Epigaea Looper - Hodges#8927 found?
Range: From Newfoundland, west across the southern Boreal forest to Yukon Territory and western British Columbia, south to Pennsylvania and Ohio in the east and Colorado and Oregon in the west (E.H. Strickland Museum). Also found locally at high elevations in the Appalachians.
What does Epigaea Looper - Hodges#8927 eat?
The diet of the Epigaea Looper - Hodges#8927 includes Blueberry ( Vaccinium spp.), including commercial blueberry fields. It will switch to Kalmia angustifolia and a variety of trees and shrubs in the fall when blueberry becomes less palatable (E.H. Strickland Museum)..