Blanketflower is native to western North America. In Colorado, it is most common from the grassland-forest ecotone at the edge of the foothills to the upper limits of the ponderosa pine at elevations of approximately 9,000 feet.听It is part of a fascinating relationship with a night-flying moth, the Schinia flowermoth (Schinia masoni). Insects and flowering plants have been competing and cooperating for ages 鈥� these ecological relationships have played an important evolutionary role in shaping species. The Schinia flowermoth is completely dependent on the blanketflower as its only host plant. The flowermoth lays it eggs solely on blanketflower, allowing its larvae to feed on the plant鈥檚 seeds. To avoid being eaten, the adult听moth has evolved coloring very similar to the blossoms of the plant. This relationship is the result of a long process of coevelolution.听
Connection to Fire
Blanketflower increases dramatically in areas where there has been fire, usually flowering withing one year after an area has burned. The Schinia moth follows the Blanketflower into these areas. Over time both populations decrease and become uncommon in places that have not burned for decades. The presence of these specis help researchers understand how fire influences the ecology of a region.听听
Here is a lovely description of one observer鈥檚 experience with blanketflower:听听
鈥淚 saw my first听flowermoth听in early June 1987, near Boulder, Colorado. The half鈥恑nch鈥恖ong moth was dallying on a blossom of听blanketflower听(骋补颈濒濒补谤诲颈补听补谤颈蝉迟补迟补); the flower's burgundy and yellow colors reminded me of a split, ripe peach. The wine鈥恈olored wings and yellow head and thorax of the moth were a perfect match. I was amazed and delighted, and I began to look into what was known about this species.鈥�1听
Connection to Collections
The moth听厂肠丑颈苍颈补听尘补蝉辞苍颈颈听was named for听Mr听J Mason who had collected butterflies and moths in Denver.听 He knew of the link between this moth and host plant species.听 T.D.A.听Cockerell听speculated that Mason had found this link while picking a听Gaillardia听flower on which a moth happened to be resting2.
The CU Museum鈥檚 Entomology collection holds a听厂肠丑颈苍颈补听尘补蝉辞苍颈颈听specimen collected by听Cockerell听on flowers of听骋补颈濒濒补谤诲颈补听补谤颈蝉迟补迟补.听 It is possible that this is the specimen reported on by Cockerell3.听听Cockerell听was important in the early development of the CU Museum.
So,听we started with a听plant dug up while abloom in a Colorado canyon听and ended with a unique moth in a museum collection 110 years after its collection.听Thus听is the way of these wonders.听
罢补虫辞苍辞尘测:听Gaillardia aristata
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1. Bruce Byers, 2017.听Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment: 51-52.
2. Cockerell, 1927.听Zoology of Colorado.
3. Cockerell, 1910.听Entomol听News 21: 343-44.