Coccidiphila

Coccidiphila is a genus of butterflies of the family splendor butterfly ( Cosmopterigidae ).

Features

The representatives of the genus are small to very small moths. The head is scaly smooth. The sensors are 3/4 as long as the forewing. The labial palps are cylindrical and elongated. The forewings are narrow lanceolate and have a basic color that to reddish ocher color ranges from pale yellow and is tinged more or less dark brown. The drawing of the front wing consists of a broad dark brown Costalstrich and a very oblique outwardly, dark brown fascia that runs from the wing inner edge to the apex. The hind wings are straight.

In the males, the Tegumen is short and broad. The Brachia are of different lengths. The right brachium is long and often curved. The left brachium short and peg- shaped. The Valven are elongated and wide distally. The Valvellae are long and narrow, curved or hook-shaped. The aedeagus is short and broad. The cecum penis has a pair Vorstülpungen.

In females, the posterior Apophyses are as long or slightly longer as the Apophyses anteriores. The sterigma is large, sclerotized, rounded and often provided with lateral projections. The ductus bursae is membranous, quite wide and about half as long as the corpus bursae. The corpus bursae is ovoid.

Dissemination

The species of the genus Coccidiphila are located mainly in the western Palearctic.

Biology

The caterpillars feed on eggs of scale insects, occasionally they develop also in the detritus or in fruits.

System

In Europe, the genus Coccidiphila is represented by six species. Depending on a type is native to India, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and in South America.

• Coccidiphila danilevskyi Sinev, 1997 - Spain
• Coccidiphila gerasimovi Danilevsky, 1950 - Georgia
• Coccidiphila kasypinkeri Traugott -Olsen, 1986 - Canary Islands
• Coccidiphila ledereriella (Zeller, 1850) - Italy
• Coccidiphila patriciae J. Nel & Nel A., 2000 - Tenerife
• Coccidiphila Riedli Traugott -Olsen, 1986 - Canary Islands
• Coccidiphila sylvatica ( Meyrick, 1917) - Kumaon region in India
• Coccidiphila stegodyphobius ( Walsingham, 1903) - South Africa
• Coccidiphila violenta ( Meyrick, 1916) - British Guiana

Coccidiphila charlierella - described by Real in 1989 based on a single male specimen - synonymised 1997 Phyllonorycter millierella (Staudinger, 1871).

From the literature the following synonym is known:

• Batrachedropsis Amsel, 1955

The type species of the genus is Coccidiphila gerasimovi.

Documents

• Cosmopterigidae
• Splendor falter