Utetheisa galapagensis
Encyclopedia
Utetheisa galapagensis is a moth
of the Arctiidae
family. It is known only from the Galapagos island
of San Cristóbal
. It is probably endemic to the archipelago.
Larvae have been reared on Tournefortia pubescens
, but probably also feed on other Tournefortia
species.
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 known only from the Galapagos island
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
of San Cristóbal
San Cristóbal Island
San Cristóbal is the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago, and one of the oldest geologically.Its Spanish name "San Cristóbal" comes from the patron saint of seafarers, St. Christopher...
. It is probably endemic to the archipelago.
Larvae have been reared on 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....
, but probably also feed on other Tournefortia
Tournefortia
Tournefortia, commonly known as Soldierbush, is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae.It was first published under the name Pittonia by Charles Plumier in 1703, in honour of Joseph Pitton de Tournefort...
species.