Ypsolopha delicatella
Encyclopedia
Ypsolopha delicatella is a moth
of the family Ypsolophidae
. It is known from the United States
, including Arizona
and California
.
The wingspan
is about 17 mm.
The labial palpi are white, the second joint sprinkled with a few black scales on the outside and the terminal joint with a small black spot at the base. The tuft on the second joint is compressed, pointed and longer than the terminal joint. The head and thorax are white. The dorsal half of the forewings from base to tornus is dark reddish-brown, with strong purple
reflections, but lighter and more yellowish on the dorsal edge, gradually becoming darker and more purple towards the middle of the wing. Bordering this dorsal part, the edge of which is sharply defined as a straight central line, is a longitudinal pure white streak. Above this the costal part of the wing is bright golden yellow. The costal yellow part is produced somewhat farther out in the apical part of the wing than is the darker dorsal color, which stops abruptly at the tornus. The apical part of the wing is white, delicately mottled with black, each scale having a thin curved black edge. The hindwings are light silvery ochreous, but slightly darker, fuscous towards apex. The legs are white, the anterior two pairs mottled with black.
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 family Ypsolophidae
Ypsolophidae
Ypsolophidae is a family of moth. They are included in the Plutellidae by many authors.-Ypsolophinae:* Phrealcia Chrétien, 1900** Phrealcia brevipalpella Chrétien, 1900** Phrealcia eximiella...
. 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...
, including 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...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is about 17 mm.
The labial palpi are white, the second joint sprinkled with a few black scales on the outside and the terminal joint with a small black spot at the base. The tuft on the second joint is compressed, pointed and longer than the terminal joint. The head and thorax are white. The dorsal half of the forewings from base to tornus is dark reddish-brown, with strong purple
reflections, but lighter and more yellowish on the dorsal edge, gradually becoming darker and more purple towards the middle of the wing. Bordering this dorsal part, the edge of which is sharply defined as a straight central line, is a longitudinal pure white streak. Above this the costal part of the wing is bright golden yellow. The costal yellow part is produced somewhat farther out in the apical part of the wing than is the darker dorsal color, which stops abruptly at the tornus. The apical part of the wing is white, delicately mottled with black, each scale having a thin curved black edge. The hindwings are light silvery ochreous, but slightly darker, fuscous towards apex. The legs are white, the anterior two pairs mottled with black.