Cosmopterix teligera
Encyclopedia
Cosmopterix teligera is a moth
of the Cosmopterigidae
family. It is known from the United States
(Florida
, south to Key Largo
, and from Louisiana
to north-western Arkansas
), Brazil
(Distrito Federal), Colombia
, Costa Rica
, Cuba
, Jamaica
and Mexico
(Tamaulipas).
Adults have been recorded from March to October in the United States. In Jamaica, adults have been found in January and February. There are probably overlapping generations in the tropics.
Male, female. Forewing length 3.3-4.8 mm. Head: frons shining ochreous-white with greenish and reddish reflections, vertex shining dark bronze brown with reddish gloss, neck tufts dark brown with reddish gloss, laterally and medially lined white, collar shining dark brown with reddish gloss; labial palpus first segment very short, white, second segment four-fifths of the length of third, greyish brown with white longitudinal lines laterally and ventrally, third segment white, lined brown laterally; scape dorsally dark brown with a white anterior line, ventrally white, antenna shining dark brown, with a short white line at base changing into an interrupted line to beyond one-half, followed towards apex by six dark brown, two or three white, two dark brown, two white, ten 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 with reddish gloss, femora of midleg and hindleg shining ochreous-grey, 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 (medial lines sometimes absent) and a white apical ring, tarsal segment one with a whitish lateral line on the outside and bending dorsally at apex, segment two with a white apical spot and segment five dorsally white, sometimes segments three and/or four with a white apical spot, tibia of hindleg with a very oblique silvery white line at base, a less oblique silvery white medial streak, a subapical ochreous ring and a white apical ring, tarsal segment one and two dorsally white in the apical half, segments four and five dorsally white, spurs ochreous-white dorsally, dark brown ventrally. Forewing shining dark brown with reddish gloss, four narrow white lines the basal area, a subcostal from base to one-quarter, bending from costa in distal half, a short medial above fold in the centre under the apex of the subcostal, a subdorsal about twice as long as the medial, but slightly further from base, a short and very narrow dorsal from beyond base to one-quarter, the white lines in the basal area can differ in length, especially the subcostal which starts from base in the North American specimens and beyond base in the Neotropical ones, an orange-yellow fascia beyond the middle, narrowing towards dorsum and with a narrow apical protrusion, bordered at the inner edge by a tubercular silver to pale golden metallic fascia with greenish reflection with a small subcostal patch of blackish brown scales on the outside, bordered at the outer edge by two tubercular silver or pale golden metallic costal and dorsal spots, the dorsal spot more than three times as large as the costal and more towards base, both spots irregularly lined dark brown on the inside, the transverse fascia, tubercular fascia and spots are variable in width, a narrow white costal streak from the costal spot, a white apical line from or just beyond the apical protrusion, sometimes interrupted in the middle, cilia dark brown, paler towards dorsum. Hindwing shining brownish grey with greenish and reddish gloss, cilia brown. Underside: forewing shining greyish brown, the white apical line often visible at apex, hindwing shining brownish grey. Abdomen dorsally brown, segments six and seven posteriorly banded grey, mixed whitish, ventrally shining yellowish white, anal tuft yellowish white, ochreous-grey in female.
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...
, south to Key Largo
Key Largo
Key Largo is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and, at long, the largest of the Keys. It is also the northernmost of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, and the northernmost of the Keys connected by U.S. Highway 1...
, and from 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...
to north-western 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...
), 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), Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, 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 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 from March to October in the United States. In Jamaica, adults have been found in January and February. There are probably overlapping generations in the tropics.
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 3.3-4.8 mm. Head: frons shining ochreous-white with greenish and reddish reflections, vertex shining dark bronze brown with reddish gloss, neck tufts dark brown with reddish gloss, laterally and medially lined white, collar shining dark brown with reddish gloss; labial palpus first segment very short, white, second segment four-fifths of the length of third, greyish brown with white longitudinal lines laterally and ventrally, third segment white, lined brown laterally; scape dorsally dark brown with a white anterior line, ventrally white, antenna shining dark brown, with a short white line at base changing into an interrupted line to beyond one-half, followed towards apex by six dark brown, two or three white, two dark brown, two white, ten 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 with reddish gloss, femora of midleg and hindleg shining ochreous-grey, 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 (medial lines sometimes absent) and a white apical ring, tarsal segment one with a whitish lateral line on the outside and bending dorsally at apex, segment two with a white apical spot and segment five dorsally white, sometimes segments three and/or four with a white apical spot, tibia of hindleg with a very oblique silvery white line at base, a less oblique silvery white medial streak, a subapical ochreous ring and a white apical ring, tarsal segment one and two dorsally white in the apical half, segments four and five dorsally white, spurs ochreous-white dorsally, dark brown ventrally. Forewing shining dark brown with reddish gloss, four narrow white lines the basal area, a subcostal from base to one-quarter, bending from costa in distal half, a short medial above fold in the centre under the apex of the subcostal, a subdorsal about twice as long as the medial, but slightly further from base, a short and very narrow dorsal from beyond base to one-quarter, the white lines in the basal area can differ in length, especially the subcostal which starts from base in the North American specimens and beyond base in the Neotropical ones, an orange-yellow fascia beyond the middle, narrowing towards dorsum and with a narrow apical protrusion, bordered at the inner edge by a tubercular silver to pale golden metallic fascia with greenish reflection with a small subcostal patch of blackish brown scales on the outside, bordered at the outer edge by two tubercular silver or pale golden metallic costal and dorsal spots, the dorsal spot more than three times as large as the costal and more towards base, both spots irregularly lined dark brown on the inside, the transverse fascia, tubercular fascia and spots are variable in width, a narrow white costal streak from the costal spot, a white apical line from or just beyond the apical protrusion, sometimes interrupted in the middle, cilia dark brown, paler towards dorsum. Hindwing shining brownish grey with greenish and reddish gloss, cilia brown. Underside: forewing shining greyish brown, the white apical line often visible at apex, hindwing shining brownish grey. Abdomen dorsally brown, segments six and seven posteriorly banded grey, mixed whitish, ventrally shining yellowish white, anal tuft yellowish white, ochreous-grey in female.