Cosmopterix orichalcea
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Cosmopterix orichalcea |
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| Cosmopterix orichalcea | ||||||||||||
| Stainton , 1861 |
Cosmopterix orichalcea is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of cosmopterigidae (Cosmopterigidae).
features
The moths have a wingspan of 8 to 10 millimeters. The head shimmers gold in front and dark brown in the back. There are two thin white lines above the eyes. The antennae are dark brown and have two white, subapical sections. The proximal section consists of three segments, the outer one of two segments. The two white sections are separated by two brown segments. The tip of the antenna consists of about 5 white segments. The thorax is dark brown and has a golden center line. The tegulae are golden. The forewings are dark brown and have a broad, triangular, metallic gold-shining line, which points from the Costa loader at the wing base to the wing inner edge, but does not reach it. A strongly tapered yellow-orange band runs from the Costa loader to the wing inner edge. In the apical area there is a silver, purple-tinted line. It is sometimes narrower in the middle and shimmers white at the apex . The fringed scales are dark brown. The hind wings are gray-brown. The abdomen is light brown dorsally and gray-brown on the sides with a pale gold sheen. The segments have white bands at the back. The anus wool is mixed gray and whitish.
In the male, the right brachium is spatulate and tapers slightly distally . The tip is trimmed and slightly bent downwards. The blades are sickle-shaped, have a strongly concave upper edge and a strongly convex lower edge. The valvellae are slightly curved. The apical half is twice as wide as the basal half. They taper distally to a blunt point. The aedeagus is bottle-shaped, the rear end widens distally and has a small ventral flange.
In females, the rear end of the 7th sternite is arched. The 8th segment is about one and a half times as wide as it is long. The ostium is rounded and has sclerotized edges halfway along its circumference . The sterigma is elongated oval and has a broad central crest. The ductus bursae is about as long as the corpus bursae and has small sclerotic lesions before it joins the corpus bursae. It is wrinkled in the shape of a ring and has two tiny, sickle-shaped signs of different sizes.
The caterpillars have a flattened, black-brown head, which is drawn in a U-shape. The caterpillar is yellow and has a light brown, more or less elongated spot on each segment ventrally . The prothoracic plate is dark brown and divided into two irregular pieces. The anal plate is almost colorless. The thoracic legs are light brown.
Similar species
Cosmopterix orichalcea differs from the two similar species Cosmopterix zieglerella and Cosmopterix schmidiella by the two white antenna sections and the large, golden line that arises at the base of the fore wing.
distribution
Cosmopterix orichalcea is widespread in the Palearctic , with the exception of the far north . The species colonizes humid habitats such as river banks and moors.
Way of life
The caterpillars develop on cane grass ( Phalaris arundinacea ), common stork grass ( Anthoxanthum odoratum ), cane fescue ( Festuca arundinacea ), forest flounder grass ( Milium effusum ), fragrant Mary's grass ( Hierochloe odorata ) and southern Mary's grass ( Hierochloe australis ). The species is thought to have two generations a year. The caterpillars live from June to July and from August to September. They mine in the leaves. The mine begins as a straight feeding passage at the beginning of which there is a small pile of caterpillar droppings. Later the feeding tunnel becomes wider and mostly takes an irregular course. Sometimes the entire tip of the leaf is occupied, the tunnels then point downwards. The caterpillar droppings are partially thrown out or remain distributed in the mine. Occasionally the caterpillars change mine. The caterpillars pupate in a solid, elongated, white cocoon on a leaf or between dead plant parts on the ground. The second generation pupates after overwintering. The moths fly from May to June and in the south also from July to August. During the day they can easily be nested from the food plants. The moths like to come to light .
Systematics
The following synonyms are known:
- Cosmopteryx drurella Fabricius , 1775
- Cosmopteryx druryella Zeller , 1850
- Cosmopterix singularis Sinev , 1980
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e 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. 112 (English).
- ↑ leafminers of Europe. Cosmopterix orichalcea Stainton, 1861. (No longer available online.) Willem N. Ellis, archived from the original on September 14, 2012 ; Retrieved January 2, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Guide to the moths of Great Britain and Ireland. Cosmopterix orichalcea Stainton, 1861. Ian Kimber, accessed January 2, 2012 .
- ↑ Karl Traugott Schütze: The biology of the small butterflies with special consideration of their nutrient plants and times of appearance. Handbook of Microlepidoptera. Caterpillar calendar arranged according to the illustrated German Flora by H. Wagner. Frankfurt am Main, publishing house of the International Entomological Association e. V., 1931, p. 23
- ↑ Cosmopterix orichalcea in Fauna Europaea. Retrieved January 2, 2012
Web links
- Lepiforum e. V. Taxonomy, photos, first description