Kauaʻi record · KCA-IA-00644
Scotorythra rara
Open this record in the interactive AtlasAbout Scotorythra rara
Scotorythra rara is a member of Geometridae in the order Lepidoptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is endemic hawaiian.
Scotorythra rara (Scotorythra rara) is documented from Kauaʻi. Geometrid moth caterpillars are the familiar 'inchworms,' with reduced abdominal prolegs. Adults have broad wings and often cryptic patterns. On Kauaʻi, observations are most useful when they record larval host, caterpillar form, adult flight/light records, and parasitoids. Where island-specific host, prey, breeding-site, abundance, or seasonal information is not yet firmly documented, those details should remain tied to direct specimens and field observations rather than inferred from populations elsewhere.
Scotorythra rara is an endemic Hawaiian geometrid moth documented from Kauaʻi. Caterpillars and adults are markedly different identification forms and require separate life-stage coverage once exact larval morphology is secured.
Kauaʻi occurrence evidence: Hawaiian taxonomic literature records Scotorythra rara from Kauaʻi among its island distribution.
The cited occurrence evidence does not by itself establish current abundance or population trend on Kauaʻi.
Life cycle
Egg; caterpillar; pupa; adult.
Habitat
Vegetation containing larval host plants.
Food and ecological role
Larvae feed on plant foliage; host range is species-specific.
Reproduction
Females lay eggs on or near host plants.
Movement
Adults fly, often at night; larvae move among host foliage.
Ecosystem role
Foliage herbivore and prey item; endemic species can be tightly tied to native plants.
Threats and impacts
Native species may be exposed to habitat/host loss and introduced parasitoids.
Monitoring
Record larval host, caterpillar form, adult flight/light records, and parasitoids.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Scotorythra rara
- Family
- Geometridae
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Record type
- species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Present
- Origin
- Endemic Hawaiian
- Conservation status
- Not assessed
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal description
- Scotorythra rara is a member of Geometridae in the order Lepidoptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is endemic hawaiian.