Cosmopterix chalupae
Encyclopedia
Cosmopterix chalupae is a moth
of the Cosmopterigidae
family. It is known from Argentina
(Salta).
Adults were collected in November.
Male. Forewing length 4.0 mm. Head: frons shining pale ochreous, shining white towards clypeus, vertex and neck tufts shining pale bronze brown, lined white laterally, collar shining pale bronze brown; labial palpus, first segment very short, white, second segment three-quarters of the length of third, dorsally bronze brown, ventrally white, third segment white, lined dark brown laterally; scape dorsally bronze brown with a white anterior line, ventrally white, antenna shining dark brown with an interrupted white line from base to one-half, followed towards apex by, respectively, a short annulated section of approximately six segments, fourteen dark brown, nine white and sixteen dark brown segments at apex. Thorax shining pale bronze brown with a short indistinct white median line posteriorly, tegulae shining pale bronze brown. Legs: dark brown, femora of foreleg and midleg shining ochreous-white, femur of hindleg shining grey, foreleg with a white line on tibia and tarsal segments one to four, segment five entirely white, tibia of midleg with an indistinct whitish medial spot and a white apical ring, tarsal segments with white apical rings, tibia of hindleg with a white basal streak and white medial and apical rings, tarsal segments missing, spurs ochreous-grey, apically lighter. Forewing shining dark brown, in the basal area at one-fifth an irregular inwardly oblique silver metallic fascia, interrupted in the costal half and widening towards dorsum but not reaching it, at one-half a broad tubercular pale golden metallic fascia, perpendicular on dorsum, at three-quarters an outward oblique tubercular pale golden metallic fascia, narrowed towards costa, outwardly edged by a narrow white costal streak, apical line as a few silver metallic scales with bluish gloss in the middle of the apical area and a narrow white streak in the cilia at apex, cilia dark brown, paler on dorsum towards base. Hindwing shining dark brown, cilia brown. Underside: forewing shining greyish brown with the white streak at apex visible, hindwing at costa greyish brown, grey at dorsum. Abdomen dorsally shining dark brown, segments two, three and four with pale yellow spots, laterally shining grey, ventrally segments broadly banded shining pale yellowish grey posteriorly, anal tuft greyish brown, ventrally mixed yellowish white.
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 Cosmopterigidae
Cosmopterigidae
Cosmopterigidae is a family of insects in the Lepidoptera order. These are small moths with narrow wings whose tiny larvae feed internally on the leaves, seeds, stems, etc of their host plants. There are about 1,500 described species...
family. It is known from Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
(Salta).
Adults were collected in November.
Description
- See glossaryGlossary of Lepidopteran termsThis glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of insect species, jargon used mostly by professionals or entomologist....
for terms used
Male. Forewing length 4.0 mm. Head: frons shining pale ochreous, shining white towards clypeus, vertex and neck tufts shining pale bronze brown, lined white laterally, collar shining pale bronze brown; labial palpus, first segment very short, white, second segment three-quarters of the length of third, dorsally bronze brown, ventrally white, third segment white, lined dark brown laterally; scape dorsally bronze brown with a white anterior line, ventrally white, antenna shining dark brown with an interrupted white line from base to one-half, followed towards apex by, respectively, a short annulated section of approximately six segments, fourteen dark brown, nine white and sixteen dark brown segments at apex. Thorax shining pale bronze brown with a short indistinct white median line posteriorly, tegulae shining pale bronze brown. Legs: dark brown, femora of foreleg and midleg shining ochreous-white, femur of hindleg shining grey, foreleg with a white line on tibia and tarsal segments one to four, segment five entirely white, tibia of midleg with an indistinct whitish medial spot and a white apical ring, tarsal segments with white apical rings, tibia of hindleg with a white basal streak and white medial and apical rings, tarsal segments missing, spurs ochreous-grey, apically lighter. Forewing shining dark brown, in the basal area at one-fifth an irregular inwardly oblique silver metallic fascia, interrupted in the costal half and widening towards dorsum but not reaching it, at one-half a broad tubercular pale golden metallic fascia, perpendicular on dorsum, at three-quarters an outward oblique tubercular pale golden metallic fascia, narrowed towards costa, outwardly edged by a narrow white costal streak, apical line as a few silver metallic scales with bluish gloss in the middle of the apical area and a narrow white streak in the cilia at apex, cilia dark brown, paler on dorsum towards base. Hindwing shining dark brown, cilia brown. Underside: forewing shining greyish brown with the white streak at apex visible, hindwing at costa greyish brown, grey at dorsum. Abdomen dorsally shining dark brown, segments two, three and four with pale yellow spots, laterally shining grey, ventrally segments broadly banded shining pale yellowish grey posteriorly, anal tuft greyish brown, ventrally mixed yellowish white.