Speckled Talponia Moth - Hodges#3417
Talponia plummeriana
This record describes Talponia plummeriana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Tortricoidea
- Family
- Tortricidae (Tortricid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Olethreutinae
- Tribe
- Grapholitini
- Genus
- Talponia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Records from Illinois to Maryland, south to Florida. ( 4 ) Type locality: Plummer's Island, MD (Busck).
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae feed on the flowers of pawpaw ( Asimina triloba ). ( 5 )
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet for the type location. Plummer's Island , situated near the Great Falls of the Potomac River above Washington, D.C., served as a campground retreat for the Biological Club of Washington, many members of which were curators at the USNM (Smithsonian). Busck and William Dietz were lighting for microlepidoptera the night the holotype was collected . ,
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Talponia plummeriana. 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 Speckled Talponia Moth - Hodges#3417 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Cotinis; Additional contributions by Randy Hardy , Blocky
Frequently Asked Questions About Speckled Talponia Moth - Hodges#3417
How big is Speckled Talponia Moth - Hodges#3417?
Wingspan 10 mm.
Where is Speckled Talponia Moth - Hodges#3417 found?
Range: Records from Illinois to Maryland, south to Florida. ( 4 ) Type locality: Plummer's Island, MD (Busck).
What does Speckled Talponia Moth - Hodges#3417 eat?
The diet of the Speckled Talponia Moth - Hodges#3417 includes Larvae feed on the flowers of pawpaw ( Asimina triloba ). ( 5 ).