Pyroderces tethysella

Pyroderces tethysella is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of the splendor butterfly ( Cosmopterigidae ). The name tethysella is derived from Tethys, an ocean that stretched million years ago, about 200 between the north-eastern part of Pangaea, the emerging Asia, and the southeast part of Pangaea ( East Gondwana ) ( approximately from central Europe to the east of New Guinea).

Features

The moths reach a wingspan 9-12 mm. The head is at the front ( frons ) white, the vertex (vertex ) and the neck tufts are yellowish white and mixed with brown scales. The neck is yellowish white dorsal and sides reddish brown. The first two thirds of the sensors are ocher and white striped dark brown. The last third is divided into three sections brown, each consisting of four or five segments. The sensor base member ( scape ) is white and has a dark brown subapical ring. The labial palps are white. The first segment is very short. The second segment is three-fourths as long as the third segment and the outside strongly mottled gray-brown. The third segment has an indistinct, dark brown subapical ring. The thorax is yellowish white and has a reddish brown stain behind. The tegulae are reddish brown. The front legs are dark gray. The tibiae have white subbasale, medial and subapikale rings. The middle legs, in contrast to the front legs white femurs, the fourth and fifth Tarsenglieder are white. The hind legs are just as stained as the front legs. The Spurs are white and speckled dark gray outside in the basal half.

The fore wings are reddish brown. A very dark brown mottled, whitish line begins on the Costa loader at 1 /5 of the forewing length. He is bent inwards towards the anal fold and meets again on the Costa loader at 3/ 4 of the forewing length. A whitish line extends from the base of the wing inner edge up to 1/3 of the blade length. He is bent toward the anal fold and ends on Costalstrich. On the inside it is lined with a dark brown stain. A short, whitish line starts at the center of the vane inside edge and extends to the interior angle. He is hemmed in dark brown. In Disk Alber calibration is a small, whitish, dark- brown -mixed stain, which is extended as indistinct, white narrow bar on the wing inner edge of the wing tip. On the fringe scales on the Costa loader is a small, dark brown line just before the wing tip. The coloring of the Frans scales at the apex ranges from dark brown to reddish brown and whitish to ocher- gray wings on the inner edge. On the fringe scales of the wing inner edge located near the wing tip two short but distinct dark brown lines.

The hind wings are gray and have yellow ocher Frans shed. The abdomen is dark gray dorsally, the first two segments are reddish brown tint. Ventral segments are white. The after tuft is white.

In the males, the Tegumen is wide and tapers distally. The right part is longer than the left. The right brachium is curved and has a wider and abgeflachteren Apex than the left brachium. It is about twice as long and more curved as the left brachium. The Valven are long, narrow, slightly curved upward and provided with a bristled basal lobe. The aedeagus is very short, almost square and has a short, hump- shaped tip. The Manica in the basal half cylindrical, in the distal half of it is tapered and has a slightly curved tip. The left Valvella is long, slender and club-shaped. It is slightly shorter than the aedeagus. The right Valvella is very short and plump. The genital armature of the males is similar to that of Pyroderces klimeschi, but differs by the longer and slimmer left Valvella.

In females, the anterior Apophyses are about two-thirds as long as the posterior Apophyses. The sterigma is large and bulbous. It tapers at the front and has in the middle a curved, sclerotized bulge. The ductus bursae is narrow and slightly longer than the corpus bursae. The corpus bursae is elongate, the signals consist of two irregular rows of prongs.

Dissemination

Pyroderces tethysella is native to Spain, Tunisia and Central Asia ( Tajikistan).

Biology

The biology of the species is unknown. The moths were collected between mid-August and early October.

Documents

• Splendor falter
• Cosmopterigidae