Utetheisa connerorum
Encyclopedia
Utetheisa connerorum is a moth
of the Arctiidae
family. It is endemic to the Galapagos archipelago, where it is the most widespread of all Utetheisa species. It has been found on Baltra, Fernandina, Floreana, Genovesa, Isabela, Marchena, Pinta, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, Santa Fé, and Santiago.
The length of the forewings is 12–15 mm for males and 12-14 mm for females.
The moths of this species are unpalatable to the orb-weaving spider Eustela vegeta,
which released moths given to them off their webs, but lava lizards Microlophus pacificus ate the moths presented to them, which suggest that the endemic
group of Galapagos Utetheisa lost their aposematic colouration to avoid diurnal lizard
predation, but retained their chemical defenses to avoid nocturnal spider predation.
Larvae feed on Tournefortia rufo-sericea
, Tournefortia psilostachya, Tournefortia pubescens
and Heliotropium curassavicum
. The larva is solitary and draws leaves together, fastening their edges, for concealment. Larval specimens have been collected from May to November.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Arctiidae
Arctiidae
Arctiidae is a large and diverse family of moths with around 11,000 species found all over the world, including 6,000 neotropical species. This family includes the groups commonly known as tiger moths , which usually have bright colours, footmen , lichen moths and wasp moths...
family. It is endemic to the Galapagos archipelago, where it is the most widespread of all Utetheisa species. It has been found on Baltra, Fernandina, Floreana, Genovesa, Isabela, Marchena, Pinta, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, Santa Fé, and Santiago.
The length of the forewings is 12–15 mm for males and 12-14 mm for females.
The moths of this species are unpalatable to the orb-weaving spider Eustela vegeta,
which released moths given to them off their webs, but lava lizards Microlophus pacificus ate the moths presented to them, which suggest that the endemic
group of Galapagos Utetheisa lost their aposematic colouration to avoid diurnal lizard
predation, but retained their chemical defenses to avoid nocturnal spider predation.
Larvae feed on Tournefortia rufo-sericea
Tournefortia rufo-sericea
Tournefortia rufo-sericea is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Tye, A. 2000. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
, Tournefortia psilostachya, Tournefortia pubescens
Tournefortia pubescens
Tournefortia pubescens is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-References:* Tye, A. 2000. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
and Heliotropium curassavicum
Heliotropium curassavicum
Heliotropium curassavicum is a species of heliotrope that is native to much of the Americas, from Canada to Argentina, and can be found on other continents as an introduced species...
. The larva is solitary and draws leaves together, fastening their edges, for concealment. Larval specimens have been collected from May to November.