Cosmopterix montisella
Encyclopedia
Cosmopterix montisella is a moth
of the Cosmopterigidae
family. It is known from the United States
, where it is found from New York
and Oregon
south to New Mexico
, Arizona
and California
. Single specimens have been collected in Arkansas
and Iowa
. The species is now also established in Michigan
.
Male, female. Forewing length 5.1-6.5 mm. Head: frons shining pale ochreous with greenish and reddish reflections, vertex and neck tufts shining dark bronze brown with greenish and reddish gloss, laterally and medially edged white, collar shining dark bronze brown; labial palpus first segment very short, shining ochreous, second segment four-fifths of the length of third, dark brown with white longitudinal lines laterally and ventrally, third segment white, lined dark brown laterally; scape dorsally shining dark brown with a white anterior line, shining white ventrally, antenna shining dark brown, a short white line from base with an interrupted subdistal section of three to four segments, this white line varies in length, followed towards apex by three dark brown, one white, approximately ten dark brown, three white, four dark brown and two white segments at apex. Thorax and tegulae shining dark bronze brown with greenish and reddish gloss, thorax with a white median line, tegulae lined white inwardly. Legs: shining dark brown with reddish gloss, femur of foreleg shining grey, femora of midleg and hindleg shining pale golden, foreleg with a white line on tibia and tarsal segments one and two, tibia of midleg with white oblique basal and medial lines and a white apical ring, tarsal segments one and two with white apical rings, tibia of hindleg as midleg, tarsal segments one and two with whitish apical rings, spurs white dorsally, dark brown ventrally. Forewing shining dark bronze brown with reddish golden gloss, four white streaks in the basal area, a subcostal from base to one-quarter, strongly bending from costa and widening in distal third, a short medial, ending at or slightly beyond the subcostal, a subdorsal as long or slightly longer than the medial and slightly further from base than the medial, a narrow dorsal from beyond base to one-seventh, there is some variation in the length and shape of the white streaks, a broad orange-brown transverse fascia beyond the middle, at costa twice as wide as at dorsum, the dorsal part darkened or completely brown, bordered at the inner edge by a broad tubercular silver or pale golden metallic fascia, widening towards dorsum, bordered at the outer edge by two tubercular silver or pale golden metallic costal and dorsal spots the dorsal spot about twice as large as the costal and much closer to base, both tubercular fascia and spots with greenish and purplish reflections, and the fascia sometimes with a tiny dark brown subcostal spot on the outside, costal and dorsal spots inwardly edged dark brown, a broad white costal streak from the costal spot, a pale golden to golden metallic apical line on dorsum of the apical area, often broadly interrupted in the middle and becoming a broad shining white streak in the apical cilia; cilia dark bronze brown around apex, ochreous-brown on dorsum towards base. Hindwing shining brownish-grey, cilia ochreous-brown. Underside: forewing shining greyish brown with the white costal streak, the white line in the apical cilia and an ochreous line on dorsum distinctly visible, hindwing shining greyish brown. Abdomen dorsally shining brownish yellow, laterally and ventrally shining dark grey, segments broadly banded shining white posteriorly, anal tuft ochreous-white dorsally, mixed brown ventrally.
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 it is found from 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 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...
south to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
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...
. Single specimens have been collected in 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...
and Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. The species is now also established in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
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 5.1-6.5 mm. Head: frons shining pale ochreous with greenish and reddish reflections, vertex and neck tufts shining dark bronze brown with greenish and reddish gloss, laterally and medially edged white, collar shining dark bronze brown; labial palpus first segment very short, shining ochreous, second segment four-fifths of the length of third, dark brown with white longitudinal lines laterally and ventrally, third segment white, lined dark brown laterally; scape dorsally shining dark brown with a white anterior line, shining white ventrally, antenna shining dark brown, a short white line from base with an interrupted subdistal section of three to four segments, this white line varies in length, followed towards apex by three dark brown, one white, approximately ten dark brown, three white, four dark brown and two white segments at apex. Thorax and tegulae shining dark bronze brown with greenish and reddish gloss, thorax with a white median line, tegulae lined white inwardly. Legs: shining dark brown with reddish gloss, femur of foreleg shining grey, femora of midleg and hindleg shining pale golden, foreleg with a white line on tibia and tarsal segments one and two, tibia of midleg with white oblique basal and medial lines and a white apical ring, tarsal segments one and two with white apical rings, tibia of hindleg as midleg, tarsal segments one and two with whitish apical rings, spurs white dorsally, dark brown ventrally. Forewing shining dark bronze brown with reddish golden gloss, four white streaks in the basal area, a subcostal from base to one-quarter, strongly bending from costa and widening in distal third, a short medial, ending at or slightly beyond the subcostal, a subdorsal as long or slightly longer than the medial and slightly further from base than the medial, a narrow dorsal from beyond base to one-seventh, there is some variation in the length and shape of the white streaks, a broad orange-brown transverse fascia beyond the middle, at costa twice as wide as at dorsum, the dorsal part darkened or completely brown, bordered at the inner edge by a broad tubercular silver or pale golden metallic fascia, widening towards dorsum, bordered at the outer edge by two tubercular silver or pale golden metallic costal and dorsal spots the dorsal spot about twice as large as the costal and much closer to base, both tubercular fascia and spots with greenish and purplish reflections, and the fascia sometimes with a tiny dark brown subcostal spot on the outside, costal and dorsal spots inwardly edged dark brown, a broad white costal streak from the costal spot, a pale golden to golden metallic apical line on dorsum of the apical area, often broadly interrupted in the middle and becoming a broad shining white streak in the apical cilia; cilia dark bronze brown around apex, ochreous-brown on dorsum towards base. Hindwing shining brownish-grey, cilia ochreous-brown. Underside: forewing shining greyish brown with the white costal streak, the white line in the apical cilia and an ochreous line on dorsum distinctly visible, hindwing shining greyish brown. Abdomen dorsally shining brownish yellow, laterally and ventrally shining dark grey, segments broadly banded shining white posteriorly, anal tuft ochreous-white dorsally, mixed brown ventrally.