Xylophanes libya - Hodges#7891
Xylophanes libya
This record describes Xylophanes libya (species). Recorded family: Sphingidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
This species is tentatively identified as Xylophanes libya, but may be any number of similar Xylophanes species that are difficult to separate from photos alone. Regardless of the true identity, this species is not known to be a resident of the U.S., and this individual can be considered a stray.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Bombycoidea
- Family
- Sphingidae (Sphinx Moths)
- Subfamily
- Macroglossinae
- Tribe
- Macroglossini
- Genus
- Xylophanes
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
This is a Neotropical species, its presence in the U.S. is likely due to it straying North.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Xylophanes libya. 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 Xylophanes libya - Hodges#7891 (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Ryan St Laurent; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz