Cosmopterix io
Encyclopedia
Cosmopterix io is a moth
of the Cosmopterigidae
family. It is known from Ecuador
and Mexico
(Tamaulipas).
Adults have been recorded in June and July.
Male. Forewing length 3.3-3.9 mm. Head: frons shining pale golden metallic, vertex and neck tufts shining dark bronze brown with some reddish reflection, laterally lined white, collar shining dark bronze brown; labial palpus first segment very short, ochreous-grey, second segment two-thirds of the length of third, dark brown with white longitudinal lines laterally and ventrally, third segment white, lined dark brown laterally, extreme apex white; scape dorsally dark brown with a white anterior line, ventrally white, antenna shining dark brown with a white interrupted line from base to one-half with a short uninterrupted section at base, a subapical white section of seven segments, followed by a dark brown section of about twelve segments, apical three segments white. Thorax and tegulae shining dark bronze brown with reddish gloss, tegulae broadly lined pale golden metallic inwardly. Legs: shining dark brown, tibiae foreleg and midleg ochreous-grey, tibia of hindleg shining brownish golden, foreleg with a white line on tibia and tarsal segments one and two, segment four with a white apical ring, segment five entirely white, tibia of midleg with silver metallic oblique basal and medial streaks with bluish gloss and a white apical ring, tarsal segment one with a white longitudinal line and apical ring, segment two and four with white apical rings, segment five entirely white, tibia of hindleg with a silver metallic basal streak and medial and subapical rings, all with bluish gloss, the apical ring white, tarsal segments one to three with white apical rings, segments four and five entirely white, spurs dark brown, distally lighter. Forewing shining dark brown with reddish gloss, at one-fifth three short silver metallic streaks with bluish reflection in a row, a subcostal, a medial just above fold and half the length of the subcostal and a subdorsal, about as long as the subcostal but slightly further from base, a narrow tubercular silver metallic medial fascia with greenish and purplish reflections in the middle, perpendicular at dorsum, at two-thirds a tubercular silver metallic dorsal spot with bluish reflection, on costa at three-quarters, a tubercular pale golden costal spot, smaller than the dorsal spot and edged by a narrow white costal streak, apical line as two silver metallic spots with bluish reflection in the middle of the apical area and a broad white spot in the cilia at apex, cilia dark brown, paler on dorsum towards base. Hindwing shining dark greyish brown, cilia dark brown. Underside: forewing shining dark greyish brown with the white costal streak and apical spot distinctly visible, hindwing greyish brown. Abdomen dorsally shining ochreous-brown with golden gloss, ventrally shining dark greyish brown, segments broadly banded shining white posteriorly, anal tuft shining greyish-brown.
, a moon of Jupiter
. To be treated as a noun in apposition.
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 Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(Tamaulipas).
Adults have been recorded in June and July.
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 3.3-3.9 mm. Head: frons shining pale golden metallic, vertex and neck tufts shining dark bronze brown with some reddish reflection, laterally lined white, collar shining dark bronze brown; labial palpus first segment very short, ochreous-grey, second segment two-thirds of the length of third, dark brown with white longitudinal lines laterally and ventrally, third segment white, lined dark brown laterally, extreme apex white; scape dorsally dark brown with a white anterior line, ventrally white, antenna shining dark brown with a white interrupted line from base to one-half with a short uninterrupted section at base, a subapical white section of seven segments, followed by a dark brown section of about twelve segments, apical three segments white. Thorax and tegulae shining dark bronze brown with reddish gloss, tegulae broadly lined pale golden metallic inwardly. Legs: shining dark brown, tibiae foreleg and midleg ochreous-grey, tibia of hindleg shining brownish golden, foreleg with a white line on tibia and tarsal segments one and two, segment four with a white apical ring, segment five entirely white, tibia of midleg with silver metallic oblique basal and medial streaks with bluish gloss and a white apical ring, tarsal segment one with a white longitudinal line and apical ring, segment two and four with white apical rings, segment five entirely white, tibia of hindleg with a silver metallic basal streak and medial and subapical rings, all with bluish gloss, the apical ring white, tarsal segments one to three with white apical rings, segments four and five entirely white, spurs dark brown, distally lighter. Forewing shining dark brown with reddish gloss, at one-fifth three short silver metallic streaks with bluish reflection in a row, a subcostal, a medial just above fold and half the length of the subcostal and a subdorsal, about as long as the subcostal but slightly further from base, a narrow tubercular silver metallic medial fascia with greenish and purplish reflections in the middle, perpendicular at dorsum, at two-thirds a tubercular silver metallic dorsal spot with bluish reflection, on costa at three-quarters, a tubercular pale golden costal spot, smaller than the dorsal spot and edged by a narrow white costal streak, apical line as two silver metallic spots with bluish reflection in the middle of the apical area and a broad white spot in the cilia at apex, cilia dark brown, paler on dorsum towards base. Hindwing shining dark greyish brown, cilia dark brown. Underside: forewing shining dark greyish brown with the white costal streak and apical spot distinctly visible, hindwing greyish brown. Abdomen dorsally shining ochreous-brown with golden gloss, ventrally shining dark greyish brown, segments broadly banded shining white posteriorly, anal tuft shining greyish-brown.
Etymology
The species is named after IoIo (moon)
Io ) is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of the planet Jupiter and, with a diameter of , the fourth-largest moon in the Solar System. It was named after the mythological character of Io, a priestess of Hera who became one of the lovers of Zeus....
, a moon of Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
. To be treated as a noun in apposition.