Cosmopterix floridanella
Encyclopedia
Cosmopterix floridanella is a moth
of the Cosmopterigidae
family. It is known from the United States
(Florida
, Arkansas
, Mississippi
, Tennessee
, Louisiana
, Alabama
), the Cayman Islands
(Grand Cayman), Cuba
, Jamaica
and the US Virgin Islands (St. Croix).
Adults have been collected from April to May in the United States and from December to May and in August in Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and the US Virgin Islands. There are at least two generations per year.
Male, female. Forewing length 3.1-3.9 mm. Head: frons shining white with greenish and purplish reflections, vertex and neck tufts shining greyish ochreous with reddish gloss, laterally and medially lined white, collar greyish ochreous; labial palpus first segment very short, white, second segment three-quarters of the length of third, pale ochreous with white longitudinal lines laterally and ventrally, third segment white, dark brown lined laterally; scape dark brown with a white anterior line, ventrally white, antenna dark brown with a white line from base to beyond one-half, followed towards apex by an annulated section of four segments, four white, two dark brown, two white, two dark brown, one white, three dark brown, two white, two dark brown and eight white segments at apex. Thorax and tegulae greyish ochreous, thorax with a white median line, tegulae lined white inwardly. Legs: dark brownish grey, femora of midleg and hindleg shining white, foreleg with a white line on tibia and tarsal segments, tibia of midleg with white oblique basal and medial lines and a white apical ring, tarsal segments ochreous-white except base of segment one dorsally and segment four, tibia of hindleg as midleg, tarsal segments ochreous-white, spurs white dorsally, brownish grey ventrally. Forewing greyish ochreous, five white lines in the basal area, a short and broad costal from one-quarter to the transverse fascia, a subcostal from base to one-quarter, slightly bending from costa, a medial above fold, from one-fifth to two-fifths, a subdorsal from one-quarter almost to the transverse fascia, a narrow dorsal from base to one-third, there is however some variation in the length of the white lines in the basal area, a broad pale yellow transverse fascia beyond the middle, narrowed towards dorsum and with an apical protrusion, bordered at the inner edge by two pale greyish golden metallic tubercular subcostal and subdorsal spots, the subcostal spot outwardly edged by a patch of blackish brown scales, the subdorsal spot further from base and inwardly edged dark brown, the inner subdorsal spot is sometimes beyond the edge of the transverse fascia and completely surrounded by yellow scales, bordered at the outer edge by two similarly coloured costal and dorsal spots, both spots opposite and edged ochreous-brown inwardly, the dorsal spot slightly larger than the costal, the outer costal spot edged by a narrow white costal streak, a shining white apical line from the apical protrusion to apex, cilia greyish ochreous around apex, paler towards dorsum. Hindwing shining pale grey, cilia pale greyish ochreous. Underside: forewing shining pale ochreous-grey, the white apical line indistinctly visible, hindwing shining pale grey. Abdomen dorsally shining yellow mixed brown, segments banded pale ochreous posteriorly, segment seven whitish, laterally pale ochreous, ventrally shining pale grey, segments banded shining white posteriorly, anal tuft 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 the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
), the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
(Grand Cayman), Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and the US Virgin Islands (St. Croix).
Adults have been collected from April to May in the United States and from December to May and in August in Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and the US Virgin Islands. There are at least two generations per year.
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, female. Forewing length 3.1-3.9 mm. Head: frons shining white with greenish and purplish reflections, vertex and neck tufts shining greyish ochreous with reddish gloss, laterally and medially lined white, collar greyish ochreous; labial palpus first segment very short, white, second segment three-quarters of the length of third, pale ochreous with white longitudinal lines laterally and ventrally, third segment white, dark brown lined laterally; scape dark brown with a white anterior line, ventrally white, antenna dark brown with a white line from base to beyond one-half, followed towards apex by an annulated section of four segments, four white, two dark brown, two white, two dark brown, one white, three dark brown, two white, two dark brown and eight white segments at apex. Thorax and tegulae greyish ochreous, thorax with a white median line, tegulae lined white inwardly. Legs: dark brownish grey, femora of midleg and hindleg shining white, foreleg with a white line on tibia and tarsal segments, tibia of midleg with white oblique basal and medial lines and a white apical ring, tarsal segments ochreous-white except base of segment one dorsally and segment four, tibia of hindleg as midleg, tarsal segments ochreous-white, spurs white dorsally, brownish grey ventrally. Forewing greyish ochreous, five white lines in the basal area, a short and broad costal from one-quarter to the transverse fascia, a subcostal from base to one-quarter, slightly bending from costa, a medial above fold, from one-fifth to two-fifths, a subdorsal from one-quarter almost to the transverse fascia, a narrow dorsal from base to one-third, there is however some variation in the length of the white lines in the basal area, a broad pale yellow transverse fascia beyond the middle, narrowed towards dorsum and with an apical protrusion, bordered at the inner edge by two pale greyish golden metallic tubercular subcostal and subdorsal spots, the subcostal spot outwardly edged by a patch of blackish brown scales, the subdorsal spot further from base and inwardly edged dark brown, the inner subdorsal spot is sometimes beyond the edge of the transverse fascia and completely surrounded by yellow scales, bordered at the outer edge by two similarly coloured costal and dorsal spots, both spots opposite and edged ochreous-brown inwardly, the dorsal spot slightly larger than the costal, the outer costal spot edged by a narrow white costal streak, a shining white apical line from the apical protrusion to apex, cilia greyish ochreous around apex, paler towards dorsum. Hindwing shining pale grey, cilia pale greyish ochreous. Underside: forewing shining pale ochreous-grey, the white apical line indistinctly visible, hindwing shining pale grey. Abdomen dorsally shining yellow mixed brown, segments banded pale ochreous posteriorly, segment seven whitish, laterally pale ochreous, ventrally shining pale grey, segments banded shining white posteriorly, anal tuft white.