Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth - Hodges#9143
Tarache tetragona
This record describes Tarache tetragona (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
- Acontiinae
- Tribe
- Acontiini
- Genus
- Tarache
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Fields, agricultural lands, waste lots, and other open habitats (Wagner et. al., 2009)
Geographic Range
extreme south Florida and east Texas
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larval hosts: Malvastrum and perhaps other members of mallow family (Wagner et. al., 2009)
Life History
Pupae overwinter in ovoid, sandy cocoons (Wagner et. al., 2009)
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: tetra (G) = a pheasant + gona (G) = seed; angle or corner NOTE: Since tetra can also mean "four" in Greek, it's speculative whether Walker meant this moth to be "four-spotted (angle or corner) or "pheasant-like." (Robert Lord Zimlich)
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Tarache tetragona. 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 Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth - Hodges#9143 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Jim McClarin; Additional contributions by Maury Heiman , Ethan Kistler , Robert Lord Zimlich , Chris Grinter , Randy Hardy , Steve Morris
Frequently Asked Questions About Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth - Hodges#9143
Where is Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth - Hodges#9143 found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Fields, agricultural lands, waste lots, and other open habitats (Wagner et. al., 2009) |
| Range | extreme south Florida and east Texas |
What does Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth - Hodges#9143 eat?
The diet of the Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth - Hodges#9143 includes Larval hosts: Malvastrum and perhaps other members of mallow family (Wagner et. al., 2009).
What is the life cycle of a Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth - Hodges#9143?
Pupae overwinter in ovoid, sandy cocoons (Wagner et. al., 2009)