Cosmopterix molybdina
Encyclopedia
Cosmopterix molybdina is a moth
of the Cosmopterigidae
family. It is known from the United States
(Maine
, Oregon
, California
) and Canada
(British Columbia
).
Adults have been recorded in January.
Male, female. Forewing length 4.3 mm. Head: frons and vertex shining golden bronze, neck tufts shining dark brown, collar shining leaden-gold with greenish and purplish reflections; labial palpus, first segment very short, pale brown, second segment three-quarters of the length of third, shining pale grey ventrally and apically, dorsally greyish white, third segment shining grey with golden gloss; scape dorsally shining dark brown with reddish gloss, ventrally pale greyish brown, antenna dark brown with reddish gloss, at two thirds a white ring of ten segments (the first two partly brown), followed towards apex by ten dark brown and seven white segments at apex. Thorax and tegulae shining leaden-gold with greenish reflection. Legs: dark brown with golden gloss, femur of hindleg shining brownish golden, forelegs and midlegs missing, tibia of hindleg with white medial and apical rings, spurs whitish dorsally, dark grey ventrally. Forewing shining dark brown with reddish golden gloss, a broad, very pale golden metallic fascia at one-fifth, widening towards dorsum, a pale yellow transverse fascia beyond the middle, narrowing towards dorsum, bordered at the inner edge by a tubercular silver to very pale golden metallic fascia, perpendicular at dorsum and narrowing towards costa, bordered on the outer edge by two large tubercular silver to very pale golden metallic costal and dorsal spots, both spots very close in middle but not touching, the dorsal spot about one and a half time as large as the costal and more towards base, the fascia with some irregular dark brown lining on the outside, both spots with similar lining on the inside, apical line as a short golden-white streak in the cilia at apex, cilia dark brown around apex, paler towards base, hindwing pale greyish brown with reddish gloss, cilia greyish brown. Underside: forewing shining greyish brown, the apical line in the cilia at apex indistinctly visible, hindwing shining greyish brown on costa, shining grey on dorsum.
species. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. Adults are on wing from mid-April to mid-July. Larvae found in Oregon in mid- to late June. Adults emerged in January.
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...
(Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
).
Adults have been recorded in January.
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 4.3 mm. Head: frons and vertex shining golden bronze, neck tufts shining dark brown, collar shining leaden-gold with greenish and purplish reflections; labial palpus, first segment very short, pale brown, second segment three-quarters of the length of third, shining pale grey ventrally and apically, dorsally greyish white, third segment shining grey with golden gloss; scape dorsally shining dark brown with reddish gloss, ventrally pale greyish brown, antenna dark brown with reddish gloss, at two thirds a white ring of ten segments (the first two partly brown), followed towards apex by ten dark brown and seven white segments at apex. Thorax and tegulae shining leaden-gold with greenish reflection. Legs: dark brown with golden gloss, femur of hindleg shining brownish golden, forelegs and midlegs missing, tibia of hindleg with white medial and apical rings, spurs whitish dorsally, dark grey ventrally. Forewing shining dark brown with reddish golden gloss, a broad, very pale golden metallic fascia at one-fifth, widening towards dorsum, a pale yellow transverse fascia beyond the middle, narrowing towards dorsum, bordered at the inner edge by a tubercular silver to very pale golden metallic fascia, perpendicular at dorsum and narrowing towards costa, bordered on the outer edge by two large tubercular silver to very pale golden metallic costal and dorsal spots, both spots very close in middle but not touching, the dorsal spot about one and a half time as large as the costal and more towards base, the fascia with some irregular dark brown lining on the outside, both spots with similar lining on the inside, apical line as a short golden-white streak in the cilia at apex, cilia dark brown around apex, paler towards base, hindwing pale greyish brown with reddish gloss, cilia greyish brown. Underside: forewing shining greyish brown, the apical line in the cilia at apex indistinctly visible, hindwing shining greyish brown on costa, shining grey on dorsum.
Biology
The larvae feed on IpomoeaIpomoea
Ipomoea is the largest genus in the flowering plant family Convolvulaceae, with over 500 species. Most of these are called "morning glories", but this can refer to related genera also. Those formerly separated in Calonyction are called "moonflowers"...
species. They mine
Leaf miner
Leaf miner is a term used to describe the larvae of many different species of insect which live in and eat the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths , sawflies and flies , though some beetles and wasps also exhibit this behavior.Like Woodboring beetles, leaf...
the leaves of their host plant. Adults are on wing from mid-April to mid-July. Larvae found in Oregon in mid- to late June. Adults emerged in January.