Cosmopterix lysithea
Encyclopedia
Cosmopterix lysithea is a moth
of the Cosmopterigidae
family. It is known from Brazil
(Distrito Federal).
Adults have been recorded in March.
Female. Forewing length 3.7 mm. Head: frons shining pale ochreous-grey with greenish reflection, vertex and neck tufts shining brown with reddish gloss, medially and laterally lined white, collar shining dark brown; labial palpus first segment very short, greyish white, second segment three-quarters 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 shining dark brown with a white anterior line, ventrally shining white, antenna shining dark brown with a short white line from base to one-fifth, changing into an interrupted line to beyond one-half, followed towards apex by approximately five dark brown segments, eight white, eight dark brown and eight white segments at apex. Thorax and tegulae shining dark brown with reddish gloss, thorax with a white median line, tegulae lined white inwardly. Legs: shining dark brown, femora of midleg and hindleg with pale golden reflection, foreleg with a white line on tibia and tarsal segments one to three and five, tibia of midleg with white oblique basal and medial lines and a white apical ring, tarsal segments one and two with white apical rings, segment five entirely white, tibia of hindleg as midleg, but with an additional pale golden subapical band, tarsal segments one to three with white apical rings, segments four and five dorsally white, spurs white dorsally, dark brown ventrally. Forewing shining dark brown with reddish gloss, four narrow white lines in the basal area, a subcostal from base and slightly running from costa to one-quarter, a very short medial to the end of the subcostal, a subdorsal, slightly longer than the medial, starting at end of the medial, a short dorsal from beyond base to the start of the medial, a bright yellow transverse fascia beyond the middle with an apical protrusion, bordered at the inner edge by two large tubercular golden metallic costal and dorsal spots almost forming a fascia, the costal spot with a patch of blackish scales on the outside, the dorsal spot slightly further from base than the costal, bordered at the outer edge by two tubercular golden metallic costal and dorsal spots, the dorsal spot three times as large as the costal, both spots inwardly lined dark brown, a white costal streak from the outer costal spot, a narrow shining white apical line from the apical protrusion, widening in the apical cilia, cilia dark brown. Hindwing shining dark greyish brown, cilia dark brown. Underside: forewing shining dark greyish brown, the white apical spot distinctly visible in the apical cilia, hindwing shining dark greyish brown. Abdomen dorsally shining pale yellow-ochreous, especially segments two to five, remaining parts greyish brown, ventrally shining yellowish white, anal tuft dorsally greyish brown, ventrally ochreous.
, 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 Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
(Distrito Federal).
Adults have been recorded in March.
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
Female. Forewing length 3.7 mm. Head: frons shining pale ochreous-grey with greenish reflection, vertex and neck tufts shining brown with reddish gloss, medially and laterally lined white, collar shining dark brown; labial palpus first segment very short, greyish white, second segment three-quarters 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 shining dark brown with a white anterior line, ventrally shining white, antenna shining dark brown with a short white line from base to one-fifth, changing into an interrupted line to beyond one-half, followed towards apex by approximately five dark brown segments, eight white, eight dark brown and eight white segments at apex. Thorax and tegulae shining dark brown with reddish gloss, thorax with a white median line, tegulae lined white inwardly. Legs: shining dark brown, femora of midleg and hindleg with pale golden reflection, foreleg with a white line on tibia and tarsal segments one to three and five, tibia of midleg with white oblique basal and medial lines and a white apical ring, tarsal segments one and two with white apical rings, segment five entirely white, tibia of hindleg as midleg, but with an additional pale golden subapical band, tarsal segments one to three with white apical rings, segments four and five dorsally white, spurs white dorsally, dark brown ventrally. Forewing shining dark brown with reddish gloss, four narrow white lines in the basal area, a subcostal from base and slightly running from costa to one-quarter, a very short medial to the end of the subcostal, a subdorsal, slightly longer than the medial, starting at end of the medial, a short dorsal from beyond base to the start of the medial, a bright yellow transverse fascia beyond the middle with an apical protrusion, bordered at the inner edge by two large tubercular golden metallic costal and dorsal spots almost forming a fascia, the costal spot with a patch of blackish scales on the outside, the dorsal spot slightly further from base than the costal, bordered at the outer edge by two tubercular golden metallic costal and dorsal spots, the dorsal spot three times as large as the costal, both spots inwardly lined dark brown, a white costal streak from the outer costal spot, a narrow shining white apical line from the apical protrusion, widening in the apical cilia, cilia dark brown. Hindwing shining dark greyish brown, cilia dark brown. Underside: forewing shining dark greyish brown, the white apical spot distinctly visible in the apical cilia, hindwing shining dark greyish brown. Abdomen dorsally shining pale yellow-ochreous, especially segments two to five, remaining parts greyish brown, ventrally shining yellowish white, anal tuft dorsally greyish brown, ventrally ochreous.
Etymology
The species is named after LysitheaLysithea
* Lysithea is a moon of Jupiter* Lysithea is a figure in Greek mythology...
, 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.