Bird Toxonprucha - Hodges#8672
Toxonprucha volucris
This record describes Toxonprucha volucris (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Larva - light to dark gray with distinctive black markings; head white and black. Adult - forewing light greenish-gray, sometimes with reddish tint; AM, median, PM, and subterminal lines usually discernible, black or dark reddish, heaviest at costa; irregular black patch just inside subterminal line at costa; PM line meets costa at right angles, then bulges outward in large U shape below reniform spot, before continuing in wavy line to inner margin; reniform spot represented by pale irregular blotch; hindwing has thin black subterminal and PM line, and thick black double median line; all lines heaviest at inner margin, fading out part-way across wing; terminal line black and scalloped on both wings; fringe same color as ground color on both wings.
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
Southern California, southern Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas.
Seasonal Activity
Adults fly from April to August.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Crumb reported the larval host as " catclaw ( Acacia )."
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Volucris is Latin for "bird".
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Toxonprucha volucris. 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 Bird Toxonprucha - Hodges#8672 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robin McLeod; Additional contributions by Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Bird Toxonprucha - Hodges#8672
What is Bird Toxonprucha - Hodges#8672?
Bird Toxonprucha - Hodges#8672 (Toxonprucha volucris) is a species in the family Erebidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Bird Toxonprucha - Hodges#8672?
Forewing length 12-14 mm. Larva to 30 mm.
How do you identify Bird Toxonprucha - Hodges#8672?
Larva - light to dark gray with distinctive black markings; head white and black. Adult - forewing light greenish-gray, sometimes with reddish tint; AM, median, PM, and subterminal lines usually discernible, black or dark reddish, heaviest at costa; irregular black patch just inside subterminal line at costa; PM line meets costa at right angles, then bulges outward in large U shape below reniform spot, before continuing in wavy line to inner margin; reniform spot represented by pale irregular blotch; hindwing has thin black subterminal and PM line, and thick black double median line; all lines heaviest at inner margin, fading out part-way across wing; terminal line black and scalloped on both wings; fringe same color as ground color on both wings.
Where is Bird Toxonprucha - Hodges#8672 found?
Range: Southern California, southern Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas.
What does Bird Toxonprucha - Hodges#8672 eat?
The diet of the Bird Toxonprucha - Hodges#8672 includes Crumb reported the larval host as catclaw ( Acacia )..
When is Bird Toxonprucha - Hodges#8672 active?
Bird Toxonprucha - Hodges#8672: seasonal activity - Adults fly from April to August..