Bifascia nigralbella
| Bifascia nigralbella | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Bifascia | ||||||||||||
| Blackbird , 1961 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Bifascia nigralbella | ||||||||||||
| ( Chrétien , 1915) |
Bifascia nigralbella is a butterfly fromthe Chrysopeleiidae family .
features
The moths reach a wingspan of 7 to 9 millimeters. The head shimmers dark brown and has a reddish sheen. The forehead ( frons ) shines ocher white. The antennae are gray-brown. Thorax and tegulae shimmer dark brown and have a slight reddish sheen. The forewings shine dark brown. The wing markings include two distinct white bands. The first is at 1/4 of the fore wing length, it tapers abruptly at the Costa loader . The second is at 2/3 of the fore wing length, it is tapered both on the Costa loader and on the inner edge of the wing. The fringed scales are gray. The hind wings shine silvery white and are more ocher colored at the apex . The abdomen is ocher gray. The females are brownish-gray and have a white tuft of anus .
In the males, the uncus is very short, rounded and warty. The tegumen is wide and tapers distally . It is membranous, only the broad dorsal stripe and the narrow lateral margins are sclerotized . The valves consist of two narrow lobes of equal length, both of which are only sparsely covered with short hairs and a few very long bristles. The dorsal lobe is slightly spatulate, the ventral lobe tapers distally. The vinculum is rounded. The aedeagus is long and curved in the middle. It has a pointed apex.
In females, the ostium is round and surrounded by a sclerotized ring with two short lateral protrusions. The ductus bursae is long. It is very narrow near the ostium and gradually widens towards the corpus bursae . The inner surface is studded with needles. The corpus bursae is egg-shaped and provided with two large, curved, horn-like signs.
The caterpillars are about seven millimeters long and thin. On the back they are yellow, the front part of the segments is striped red. The dorsal shield of the metathoracic segment is red. The thoracic legs are long and black, the belly legs are also black.
Similar species
Bifascoides leucomelanellus is similar to Bifascia nigralbella , but the rear end of the abdomen is yellowish white, the inner band on the forewings is closer to the base of the wing, and the hind wings are narrower.
distribution
Bifascia nigralbella is distributed in Spain ( Almería ), North Africa ( Algeria , Tunisia ) and the Middle East ( Saudi Arabia ). In the east the distribution area extends to Pakistan and the west of India and in Central Asia to Mongolia .
biology
The caterpillars develop on acacia ( Acacia ) and tamarisk species ( Tamarix ) and feed on the flowers. One specimen was found on a dry tamarisk trunk. The moths probably fly in two generations from May to June and in September.
Systematics
The type locality is in Biskra ( Algeria ). The following synonyms are known:
- Ascalenia nigralbella Chrétien , 1915
- Limnoecia asteroleuca Meyrick , 1917
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g J. C. Koster, S. Yu. Sinev: Momphidae, Batrachedridae, Stathmopodidae, Agonoxenidae, Cosmopterigidae, Chrysopeleiidae . In: P. Huemer, O. Karsholt, L. Lyneborg (eds.): Microlepidoptera of Europe . 1st edition. tape 5 . Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2003, ISBN 87-88757-66-8 , pp. 186 (English).
- ↑ a b c Friedrich Kasy: Contribution to the knowledge of the genera Bifascia AMSEL, Bifascioides KASY, and Gisilia KASY (Lepidoptera, Walshiidae). In: Annals of the Natural History Museum Vienna. 74, pp. 187-194 (1970). (PDF)
- ↑ a b Bifascia nigralbella in Fauna Europaea. Retrieved April 26, 2012
Web links
- Lepiforum e. V. Taxonomy, initial description