Cruel Toxonprucha - Hodges#8674
Toxonprucha crudelis
This record describes Toxonprucha crudelis (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Larva - whitish gray, sometimed with a purple tinge, pale and broken middorsal stripe, purple stripe just above the legs; head white, brown in front and black posteriorly. Adult - forewing light brownish-gray, usually with discernible AM, median, PM, and subterminal lines; small black patch just inside subterminal line at costa has notch in lower corner; PM line bulges slightly outward below reniform spot, then continues in wavy line to inner margin; reniform spot represented by pale irregular blotch; diffuse blackish shading overlies much of median line; dark shading in terminal area, sometimes with reddish tint; terminal line black, scalloped; fringe pale, checkered with dark scales at vein tips; hindwing with similar color and pattern as forewing. Genitalia:
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Erebidae
- Subfamily
- Erebinae
- Tribe
- Omopterini
- Genus
- Toxonprucha
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Texas to California.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Crumb reported the larval host as " catclaw ( Acacia )."
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Crudelis is Latin for "cruel".
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Toxonprucha crudelis. 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 Cruel Toxonprucha - Hodges#8674 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robin McLeod; Additional contributions by Randy Hardy , Robert H. Biagi
Frequently Asked Questions About Cruel Toxonprucha - Hodges#8674
What is Cruel Toxonprucha - Hodges#8674?
Cruel Toxonprucha - Hodges#8674 (Toxonprucha crudelis) is a species in the family Erebidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Cruel Toxonprucha - Hodges#8674?
Wingspan about 20-24 mm. Larva to about 25 mm.
How do you identify Cruel Toxonprucha - Hodges#8674?
Larva - whitish gray, sometimed with a purple tinge, pale and broken middorsal stripe, purple stripe just above the legs; head white, brown in front and black posteriorly. Adult - forewing light brownish-gray, usually with discernible AM, median, PM, and subterminal lines; small black patch just inside subterminal line at costa has notch in lower corner; PM line bulges slightly outward below reniform spot, then continues in wavy line to inner margin; reniform spot represented by pale irregular blotch; diffuse blackish shading overlies much of median line; dark shading in terminal area, sometimes with reddish tint; terminal line black, scalloped; fringe pale, checkered with dark scales at vein tips; hindwing with similar color and pattern as forewing. Genitalia:
Where is Cruel Toxonprucha - Hodges#8674 found?
Range: Texas to California.
What does Cruel Toxonprucha - Hodges#8674 eat?
The diet of the Cruel Toxonprucha - Hodges#8674 includes Crumb reported the larval host as catclaw ( Acacia )..