Cosmopterix lespedezae
Encyclopedia
Cosmopterix lespedezae is a moth
of the Cosmopterigidae
family. It is known from the United States
(South Carolina
, Kentucky
, Ohio
, Arkansas
, Texas
and Mississippi
).
Male, female. Forewing length 4.7 mm. Head: frons shining ochreous-grey with greenish and reddish reflections, vertex and neck tufts shining 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, dark 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 white line from base to beyond one-half, followed towards apex by approximately seven dark brown segments, four 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 with golden gloss, 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 missing, tibia of hindleg with a very oblique silvery white line at base, a less oblique silvery white medial streak and a white apical ring, tarsal segment one with a white basal ring and white dorsal streak in the apical half, segments two to four dorsally white, segment five entirely white, spurs white dorsally, dark brown ventrally. Forewing shining dark brown with reddish gloss, four white lines in the basal area, a subcostal from base to one-quarter bending from costa in distal half, a short medial above fold, its centre under of the distal end of the subcostal, a subdorsal slightly longer than the medial, and a little further from base, a narrow dorsal from beyond base to one-fifth, a yellow transverse fascia beyond the middle, narrowing towards dorsum and with a short and narrow apical protrusion, bordered at the inner edge by a tubercular pale golden metallic fascia with some greenish reflection, and with a small subcostal patch of blackish brown scales on the outside, bordered at outer edge by two tubercular pale golden metallic costal and dorsal spots, the dorsal spot three times as large as the costal and more towards base, the costal and dorsal spots irregularly lined dark brown on the inside, a white costal streak from the costal spot, a shining white apical line from just beyond apical protrusion, cilia dark brown, paler towards dorsum. Hindwing shining greyish brown with reddish gloss, cilia brown. Underside: forewing shining greyish brown, the white apical line distinctly visible in the apical cilia, hindwing shining greyish brown. Abdomen dorsally shining dark brown with reddish gloss, laterally shining grey with greenish reflection, ventrally dark grey, in the middle yellowish white, segments banded shining white posteriorly, anal tuft ochreous-white.
species, including Lespedeza
and Desmodium
species. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine begins in the midrib, spreading outward and upward between two lateral veins. In that part of the early mine adjacent to the lower of the lateral veins between which it lies, the parenchyma is left in narrow transverse bars, giving the mine a very characteristic aspect. As the mine increases, it extends beyond the confines of the two veins, with irregular projections and parenchyma all consumed. The pupa is formed within the mine beneath the transverse bars, which are here lined with silk forming a tubular pupal chamber. Adults are on wing from early July to mid September.
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...
(South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, 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...
, 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...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
).
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 4.7 mm. Head: frons shining ochreous-grey with greenish and reddish reflections, vertex and neck tufts shining 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, dark 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 white line from base to beyond one-half, followed towards apex by approximately seven dark brown segments, four 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 with golden gloss, 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 missing, tibia of hindleg with a very oblique silvery white line at base, a less oblique silvery white medial streak and a white apical ring, tarsal segment one with a white basal ring and white dorsal streak in the apical half, segments two to four dorsally white, segment five entirely white, spurs white dorsally, dark brown ventrally. Forewing shining dark brown with reddish gloss, four white lines in the basal area, a subcostal from base to one-quarter bending from costa in distal half, a short medial above fold, its centre under of the distal end of the subcostal, a subdorsal slightly longer than the medial, and a little further from base, a narrow dorsal from beyond base to one-fifth, a yellow transverse fascia beyond the middle, narrowing towards dorsum and with a short and narrow apical protrusion, bordered at the inner edge by a tubercular pale golden metallic fascia with some greenish reflection, and with a small subcostal patch of blackish brown scales on the outside, bordered at outer edge by two tubercular pale golden metallic costal and dorsal spots, the dorsal spot three times as large as the costal and more towards base, the costal and dorsal spots irregularly lined dark brown on the inside, a white costal streak from the costal spot, a shining white apical line from just beyond apical protrusion, cilia dark brown, paler towards dorsum. Hindwing shining greyish brown with reddish gloss, cilia brown. Underside: forewing shining greyish brown, the white apical line distinctly visible in the apical cilia, hindwing shining greyish brown. Abdomen dorsally shining dark brown with reddish gloss, laterally shining grey with greenish reflection, ventrally dark grey, in the middle yellowish white, segments banded shining white posteriorly, anal tuft ochreous-white.
Biology
The larvae feed on various FabaceaeFabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
species, including Lespedeza
Lespedeza
Lespedeza is a genus of some 40 species of flowering plants in the pea family , commonly known as bush clovers or Japanese clovers...
and Desmodium
Desmodium
Desmodium is a genus in the flowering plant family Fabaceae, sometimes called tick-trefoil, tick clover or beggar lice. There are dozens of species and the delimitation of the genus has shifted much over time....
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 mine begins in the midrib, spreading outward and upward between two lateral veins. In that part of the early mine adjacent to the lower of the lateral veins between which it lies, the parenchyma is left in narrow transverse bars, giving the mine a very characteristic aspect. As the mine increases, it extends beyond the confines of the two veins, with irregular projections and parenchyma all consumed. The pupa is formed within the mine beneath the transverse bars, which are here lined with silk forming a tubular pupal chamber. Adults are on wing from early July to mid September.