Cosmopterix clemensella
Encyclopedia
Clemens' Cosmopterix Moth (Cosmopterix clemensella) is a moth
of the Cosmopterigidae
family. It is known from Canada
(Manitoba
, Ontario
) and the United States
(from Maine
to the mountains of southern North Carolina
, but most commonly in New York
and Ohio
).
Male, female. Forewing length 4.9 mm. Head: frons shining pale silvery grey with greenish and reddish reflections; vertex and neck tufts shining dark greyish brown with reddish gloss, laterally and medially lined white, collar shining dark greyish brown with reddish gloss; labial palpus first segment very short, ochreous-white, second segment three-quarters of the length of third, greyish brown with white longitudinal lines laterally and ventrally, third segment white, laterally with brown lines; scape dorsally dark greyish brown with a white anterior line, ventrally white, antenna shining dark brown with an interrupted white line from base to beyond one-half, a short section at base often uninterrupted, followed towards apex by approximately ten dark brown segments, nine white, ten dark brown and seven white segments at apex. Thorax and tegulae shining dark greyish brown with reddish gloss, thorax with a white medial line and tegulae lined white inwardly. Legs: shining dark brown with reddish gloss, femora of midleg and hindleg shining pale ochreous-grey, foreleg with a white line on tibia and tarsal segments one to three and five, tibiae of midleg and hindleg with white oblique basal and medial lines and white apical rings, midleg with tarsal segment one to three with white apical rings, segment five entirely white, hindleg with tarsal segments dorsally white and ochreous apical rings, segment five entirely white, spurs dark brown ventrally, dorsally white. Forewing shining dark greyish brown with reddish gloss, three silvery white lines in the basal area, a subcostal from base to one-quarter, slightly bending from costa distally, a very short but thick medial above fold, ending at the distal end of the subcostal, a subdorsal, twice as long as the medial but narrower, starting just before the distal end of the medial, a yellow transverse fascia beyond the middle, narrowed towards dorsum and with a narrow and dorsally bent apical protrusion, bordered at the inner edge by a tubercular silver metallic fascia with greenish reflection, not reaching costa and with a blackish spot subcostally on outside, bordered at the outer edge by two tubercular silver metallic costal and dorsal spots with greenish reflection, the dorsal spot about four times as large as the costal and more towards base, both silver metallic spots irregularly lined dark greyish brown on the inside, a short white costal streak from the costal spot, a shining white apical line from the apical protrusion to apex, cilia dark greyish brown, paler towards dorsum. Hindwing shining pale brownish grey, cilia greyish brown. Underside: forewing shining greyish brown, hindwing shining greyish brown. Abdomen dorsally yellow-ochreous, laterally shining pale grey with greenish reflection, ventrally shining white, anal tuft yellowish white.
species. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The adult flies from mid-May to early August.
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 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...
(Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(from 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...
to the mountains of southern North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, but most commonly in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
).
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 4.9 mm. Head: frons shining pale silvery grey with greenish and reddish reflections; vertex and neck tufts shining dark greyish brown with reddish gloss, laterally and medially lined white, collar shining dark greyish brown with reddish gloss; labial palpus first segment very short, ochreous-white, second segment three-quarters of the length of third, greyish brown with white longitudinal lines laterally and ventrally, third segment white, laterally with brown lines; scape dorsally dark greyish brown with a white anterior line, ventrally white, antenna shining dark brown with an interrupted white line from base to beyond one-half, a short section at base often uninterrupted, followed towards apex by approximately ten dark brown segments, nine white, ten dark brown and seven white segments at apex. Thorax and tegulae shining dark greyish brown with reddish gloss, thorax with a white medial line and tegulae lined white inwardly. Legs: shining dark brown with reddish gloss, femora of midleg and hindleg shining pale ochreous-grey, foreleg with a white line on tibia and tarsal segments one to three and five, tibiae of midleg and hindleg with white oblique basal and medial lines and white apical rings, midleg with tarsal segment one to three with white apical rings, segment five entirely white, hindleg with tarsal segments dorsally white and ochreous apical rings, segment five entirely white, spurs dark brown ventrally, dorsally white. Forewing shining dark greyish brown with reddish gloss, three silvery white lines in the basal area, a subcostal from base to one-quarter, slightly bending from costa distally, a very short but thick medial above fold, ending at the distal end of the subcostal, a subdorsal, twice as long as the medial but narrower, starting just before the distal end of the medial, a yellow transverse fascia beyond the middle, narrowed towards dorsum and with a narrow and dorsally bent apical protrusion, bordered at the inner edge by a tubercular silver metallic fascia with greenish reflection, not reaching costa and with a blackish spot subcostally on outside, bordered at the outer edge by two tubercular silver metallic costal and dorsal spots with greenish reflection, the dorsal spot about four times as large as the costal and more towards base, both silver metallic spots irregularly lined dark greyish brown on the inside, a short white costal streak from the costal spot, a shining white apical line from the apical protrusion to apex, cilia dark greyish brown, paler towards dorsum. Hindwing shining pale brownish grey, cilia greyish brown. Underside: forewing shining greyish brown, hindwing shining greyish brown. Abdomen dorsally yellow-ochreous, laterally shining pale grey with greenish reflection, ventrally shining white, anal tuft yellowish white.
Biology
The larvae feed on CarexCarex
Carex is a genus of plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges. Other members of the Cyperaceae family are also called sedges, however those of genus Carex may be called "true" sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of Carex is known as...
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. The adult flies from mid-May to early August.