Ectoedemia castaneae Busck, 1913
EOL Text
The American chestnut moth (Ectoedemia castaneae) was a species of moth in the Nepticulidae family. It was endemic to the United States, including Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
The wingspan is 7.5-8 mm.
The larvae formed galls encircling young twigs of American chestnut, resembling in shape and size egg-masses of the forest tent caterpillar. The moth's synergistic relationship with the North American nut species led to a catastrophic population decline when almost all of the American chestnut trees fell victim to an chestnut blight. The American chestnut was driven almost to extinction, and the American chestnut moth was driven over the edge.
Source[edit]
- Nepticulidae of North America
- World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. Ectodemia castaneae. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 31 July 2007.
 |
This article on a moth of the Ectoedemia genus is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
| Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Chestnut_Moth&oldid=639910175 |
United States
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Unknown/Undetermined
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
| Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Ectoedemia+castaneae |
Global Range: Very poorly documented, probably included much of eastern United States.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
| Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Ectoedemia+castaneae |
Comments: Presumably occurred in forests with chestnut trees.
Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.
Comments: Larva was known to eat American chestnut. It is not certain that it is/was restricted to it. Monophagy at the species level is rare in moths, so other species of CASTANEA should certainly be checked. Also most Lepdioptera that feed on chestnut also use oaks, at least the red oaks.
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: NH - Possibly Extirpated
Rounded Global Status Rank: GH - Possibly Extinct
Reasons: No modern records. Effects of chestnut blight on only known foodplant are well known and catastrophic; on the other hand it is not certain the species is/was monophagous on Amercian chestnut and even if it is/was, efforts to relocate this species have not been sufficient to virtually eliminate the possiblity of rediscovery, especially considering the large potential range. While there is a strong possiblity this species is extinct it would be premature to conclude that it is.
Other Considerations: Primary cause of decline was obviously chestnut blight reducing the foodplant.
Biological Research Needs: Consult references for recognition. Obviously if found specimens must be collected.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
| Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Ectoedemia+castaneae |