Ascalenia acaciella
Ascalenia acaciella is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of Chrysopeleiidae.
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 6-8 millimeters. Head, thorax and tegulae shining greyish brown. The tips of the scales are brighter here. The antennae are gray. The front wings are without markings and dark gray and speckled by the lighter tips of the scales. The fringe scales are gray. The hind wings are also gray.
In the male the uncus is long, very narrow and curved. The Valven are in the first two thirds of bulbous, the last third is parallel-walled and has a square Apex. There is a group of long bristles on the inner surface. At the apex of the bristles are short and slightly curved. Near the base is a single, large and curved bristle. The aedeagus is almost straight, tapering distally and is flattened at an angle. The genital armature similar to that of Ascalenia antiquarian, but differs by the long narrow uncus and the square tips of the blades.
In females, the slit-shaped bulge of the seventh sternite is large and has a narrow back band. The fold of the sixth sternite is large and triangular, having in the center a short furrow. The ostium is surrounded on the side of large, semi-circular labels. They have a net-shaped structure and in the middle of a group of needles. Two smaller semicircular benadelte areas are located on the bulge of the seventh sternite. The ductus bursae is long and wide at the ostium. He then narrows and widens gradually toward Corpus bursae. The sclerotized longitudinal band is narrow and widens towards corpus bursae. This is small and egg-shaped, has a net-like structure and is equipped with large, curved, horn-like signals.
Similar Species
Ascalenia acaciella can be distinguished from Ascalenia Vanella and Ascalenia vanelloides based on the monochromatic front wing.
Dissemination
Ascalenia acaciella is in the Canary Islands (La Gomera ), Malta, North Africa and home to the Near and Middle East. In the east, the range extends to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Biology
The caterpillars develop in the flower heads of Sweet Acacia (Acacia farnesiana ), the Terrible (Acacia karroo ) and the screen (Acacia tortilis ). They pupate in a transparent cocoon covered with Raupenkot. The moths are found almost throughout the year, probably forms the kind several successive generations.
System
There are known the following synonyms:
- Scythris tergipunctella Turati, 1924
- Scythris maculatella Lucas, 1937
- Tischeria nouiciata Gozmany, 1960