Tasmantrix lunaris
Encyclopedia
Tasmantrix lunaris is a moth
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 Micropterigidae
Micropterigidae
Micropterigoidea is the superfamily of "mandibulate archaic moths", all placed in the single family Micropterigidae, containing currently about 20 living genera. They are considered the most primitive extant lineage of Lepidoptera ....

 family. It is known from eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, where it is known from two localities in the southern coastal forests of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

.

The forewing length is 3.2 mm for males and 3.1 mm for females. The forewing groundcolour has a bronzy-purple iridescence. There are two white fasciae. The first is an elongate subcostal J-shaped streak, of more or less parallel-width, extending from the base to the anal margin at about mid-length and the second is a large oblique oval patch extending toward the termen from the costa at about two thirds. The fringes are black and white tipped. The hindwing is dark grey with bronzy-purple reflections. The fringes are black.

Etymology

The name is from the Latin lunaris (meaning crescent-shaped) and refers to the unique shape of the
forewing fascia of this species.
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