Cosmopterix scirpicola
Encyclopedia
Cosmopterix scirpicola is a moth
of the Cosmopterigidae
family. It is known from the United States
, where found from Maryland
and eastern Wyoming
to Florida
, south-western Louisiana
and California
. It has also been recorded from Alabama
.
Male, female. Forewing length 4.8-4.9 mm. Head: frons shining ochreous-white with greenish and reddish reflections, vertex and neck tufts shining ochreous-brown with reddish gloss, medially and laterally lined white, collar ochreous-brown; labial palpus first segment very short, white, second segment four-fifths of the length of third, ochreous-grey, laterally and ventrally lined white, third segment white, lined dark brown laterally; scape dorsally dark brown with anterior and dorsal white lines, white ventrally, antenna dark brown, a short, often interrupted, white line from base, followed towards apex by a dark brown section to two-thirds, one or two ochreous-grey segments, two or three dark brown, one ochreous-grey, ten dark brown, one ochreous-grey and seven dark brown segments at apex. Thorax and tegulae ochreous-brown with reddish gloss, thorax with a white median line, tegulae lined white inwardly. Legs: foreleg dark brown with a white line on tibia and tarsal segments one to three and five, femora of midleg and hindleg shining pale ochreous, tibiae and tarsal segments ochreous-grey, tibia of midleg with white oblique basal and medial streaks and a white apical ring, tarsal segments one and two with whitish apical rings, segment five entirely white, tibia of hindleg as midleg, tarsal segment one with whitish basal and apical rings, segments two to four with whitish apical rings and segment five entirely white, spurs shining white dorsally, dark grey ventrally. Forewing ochreous-brown, apical area often dark brown, four white lines in the basal area, a subcostal from base to two-fifths, gradually bending from costa, a short and straight medial above fold, from about one-fifth to beyond the distal end of the subcostal, a subdorsal below fold, about as long as the medial but slightly further from base, a dorsal from beyond base to the start of the subdorsal, a rather narrow orange-yellow transverse fascia beyond the middle, slightly narrowing towards dorsum with a narrow apical protrusion, bordered at the inner edge by two pale golden metallic tubercular subcostal and subdorsal spots, the subcostal spot about one and a half time as large as the subdorsal, both spots may join in the middle of the wing and are inwardly lined dark brown, the subcostal spot with a patch of blackish scales on the outside, bordered at the outer edge by two pale golden metallic tubercular costal and dorsal spots, the dorsal spot about twice as large as the costal and more towards base, both spots edged dark brown on the inside, a whitish costal streak beyond the outer costal spot, a shining white apical line, edged dark brown, from the apical protrusion, cilia ochreous around apex, ochreous-grey towards dorsum. Hindwing shining grey, cilia ochreous-grey. Underside: forewing shining greyish brown, the apical line indistinctly visible, hindwing shining grey. Abdomen dorsally ochreous, mixed brownish grey, segments banded greyish posteriorly, ventrally ochreous-grey with a yellowish white longitudinal streak, segments broadly banded yellowish white posteriorly, anal tuft brownish grey in male, white in female.
species. They mine in the stems of their host plant. Adults are on wing in June and July in the north, from late March to early June in Florida, in May and June in Louisiana and in late August in California. The species is probably bivoltine.
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...
, where found from Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and eastern Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
to 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...
, south-western 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...
and 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...
. It has also been recorded from 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...
.
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 4.8-4.9 mm. Head: frons shining ochreous-white with greenish and reddish reflections, vertex and neck tufts shining ochreous-brown with reddish gloss, medially and laterally lined white, collar ochreous-brown; labial palpus first segment very short, white, second segment four-fifths of the length of third, ochreous-grey, laterally and ventrally lined white, third segment white, lined dark brown laterally; scape dorsally dark brown with anterior and dorsal white lines, white ventrally, antenna dark brown, a short, often interrupted, white line from base, followed towards apex by a dark brown section to two-thirds, one or two ochreous-grey segments, two or three dark brown, one ochreous-grey, ten dark brown, one ochreous-grey and seven dark brown segments at apex. Thorax and tegulae ochreous-brown with reddish gloss, thorax with a white median line, tegulae lined white inwardly. Legs: foreleg dark brown with a white line on tibia and tarsal segments one to three and five, femora of midleg and hindleg shining pale ochreous, tibiae and tarsal segments ochreous-grey, tibia of midleg with white oblique basal and medial streaks and a white apical ring, tarsal segments one and two with whitish apical rings, segment five entirely white, tibia of hindleg as midleg, tarsal segment one with whitish basal and apical rings, segments two to four with whitish apical rings and segment five entirely white, spurs shining white dorsally, dark grey ventrally. Forewing ochreous-brown, apical area often dark brown, four white lines in the basal area, a subcostal from base to two-fifths, gradually bending from costa, a short and straight medial above fold, from about one-fifth to beyond the distal end of the subcostal, a subdorsal below fold, about as long as the medial but slightly further from base, a dorsal from beyond base to the start of the subdorsal, a rather narrow orange-yellow transverse fascia beyond the middle, slightly narrowing towards dorsum with a narrow apical protrusion, bordered at the inner edge by two pale golden metallic tubercular subcostal and subdorsal spots, the subcostal spot about one and a half time as large as the subdorsal, both spots may join in the middle of the wing and are inwardly lined dark brown, the subcostal spot with a patch of blackish scales on the outside, bordered at the outer edge by two pale golden metallic tubercular costal and dorsal spots, the dorsal spot about twice as large as the costal and more towards base, both spots edged dark brown on the inside, a whitish costal streak beyond the outer costal spot, a shining white apical line, edged dark brown, from the apical protrusion, cilia ochreous around apex, ochreous-grey towards dorsum. Hindwing shining grey, cilia ochreous-grey. Underside: forewing shining greyish brown, the apical line indistinctly visible, hindwing shining grey. Abdomen dorsally ochreous, mixed brownish grey, segments banded greyish posteriorly, ventrally ochreous-grey with a yellowish white longitudinal streak, segments broadly banded yellowish white posteriorly, anal tuft brownish grey in male, white in female.
Biology
The larvae feed on ScirpusScirpus
The plant genus Scirpus consists of a large number of aquatic, grass-like species in the family Cyperaceae , many with the common names club-rush or bulrush . Other common names are deergrass or grassweed.The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, and grows in wetlands and moist soil...
species. They mine in the stems of their host plant. Adults are on wing in June and July in the north, from late March to early June in Florida, in May and June in Louisiana and in late August in California. The species is probably bivoltine.