Purple-Striped Shootworm Moth - Hodges#3243
Zeiraphera unfortunana
This record describes Zeiraphera unfortunana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult - wings have a color-contrasted checkered mosaic pattern, especially in females. Ground color of interfaciae white.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Tortricoidea
- Family
- Tortricidae (Tortricid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Olethreutinae
- Tribe
- Eucosmini
- Genus
- Zeiraphera
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Nova Scotia to British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and Alaska into northern portions of the United States. Type locality: Black Sturgeon Lake, Ontario.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: white spruce ( Picea glauca - principle larval host. Other reported hosts include: Engelmann spruce ( Picea engelmanni ) Sitka spruce ( Picea stichensis ) balsam fir ( Abies balsamea ) subalpine fir ( Abies lasiocarpa ) Pacific silver fir ( Abies amabilis )
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Jerry A. Powell first suggested the name unfortunana in 1983 but unfortunately (pun intended) never described the moth. The name gained some use and was retained to avoid further confusion. The epithet, of course, means "unfortunate," likely as a contrast to Zeiraphera fortunana (Kearfott, 1907) which it resembles.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Zeiraphera unfortunana. 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 Purple-Striped Shootworm Moth - Hodges#3243 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Steve Nanz; Additional contributions by Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Purple-Striped Shootworm Moth - Hodges#3243
What is Purple-Striped Shootworm Moth - Hodges#3243?
Purple-Striped Shootworm Moth - Hodges#3243 (Zeiraphera unfortunana) is a species in the family Tortricidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Purple-Striped Shootworm Moth - Hodges#3243?
Wingspan ♂ 14-17 mm.
How do you identify Purple-Striped Shootworm Moth - Hodges#3243?
Adult - wings have a color-contrasted checkered mosaic pattern, especially in females. Ground color of interfaciae white.
Where is Purple-Striped Shootworm Moth - Hodges#3243 found?
Range: Nova Scotia to British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and Alaska into northern portions of the United States. Type locality: Black Sturgeon Lake, Ontario.
What does Purple-Striped Shootworm Moth - Hodges#3243 eat?
The diet of the Purple-Striped Shootworm Moth - Hodges#3243 includes white spruce ( Picea glauca - principle larval host. Other reported hosts include: Engelmann spruce ( Picea engelmanni ) Sitka spruce ( Picea stichensis ) balsam fir ( Abies balsamea ) subalpine fir ( Abies lasiocarpa ) Pacific silver fir ( Abies amabilis ).