Cosmopterix coryphaea

Cosmopterix coryphaea

Cosmopterix coryphaea is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of the splendor butterfly ( Cosmopterigidae ).

Features

The moths reach a wingspan 8-10 mm. The head is olive-brown, has a white center line and two white side lines. The sensors are light brown and have a white line that extends from the base to beyond the middle sensor. The two subapical, white portions are composed of two segments that are separated by two segments brown. The probe tip is white. The thorax is olive brown and has a white center line. The tegulae are light brown and the inside with a white line. The fore wings are olive brown and drawn in the basal region with five white lines. The Costalstrich ranges from 1/4 of the front wing length up to the yellow armband. The Subcostalstrich extends from the wing base up to 1 /3 of the forewing length and curves slightly in the middle of the Costa loader away. The center bar starts at the wing base and extends almost to the yellow band approach. The Subdorsalstrich starts with 1 /4 of the forewing length and extends to the yellow armband. It curves away from the wing inner edge. The Dorsallinie runs from the wing base up to 1 /4 of the forewing length. In the wing center is a broad, yellow band, which is elongated in the middle toward the apex. Proximally, it has a small extension in the middle. Within the yellow binding are four raised, silvery spots. Two are located at the inner edge and are surrounded externally by a black dot. The Costalfleck is slightly larger than the Dorsalfleck. Two spots are in the middle of the yellow napkin, here the Dorsalfleck is about twice as large as the Costalfleck. Both are inside edged brown. A white Costalfleck is located on the outer edge of the silvery spot. At the apex there is a white Apikallinie. The fringe scales are ocher gray. The hind wings are brownish gray. The abdomen is ocher dorsal.

In the males the right brachium is club-shaped and has a central pointed appendages. It is about four times as long as the left brachium. The Valven are almost square. The upper edge is concave, the lower edge is slightly convex, the Caudalrand is nearly straight. The Valvellae are short and strong and bent at right angles at the center. They taper apically and have a blunt tip. The aedeagus is can -shaped. The rear portion extends distally slightly anteriorly and has a flange. The genital armature of the males differs from Cosmopterix pararufella by the club-shaped and sharply pointed right brachium, the square shaped Valven and the strong Valvellae.

In females, the rear edge of the 7th sternite arcuate. The seventh segment is slightly wider than long. The ostium is rounded and provided with a semicircular sclerotization. The sterigma is large and oval to the ostium around. Distal it has a long, narrow extension which ends in a bulbous tip. The ductus bursae is slightly shorter than the corpus bursae and has some distally sclerotized spots. The corpus bursae is oval and has two circular signals, which are provided with an anchor-shaped sclerotization.

Similar Species

Cosmopterix coryphaea similar Cosmopterix pararufella, but differs in the genital armature.

Dissemination

Cosmopterix coryphaea is in southern Europe (Crete, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Sicily), North Africa, located in the Middle East and the Canary Islands.

Biology

The caterpillars develop on reed (Phragmites australis) and nate in the same way as Cosmopterix liengiella in the leaves. The caterpillars pupate in the mine. Moths were collected from February to June.

System

There are known the following synonyms:

• Cosmopteryx coryphaea Walsingham, 1908
• Cosmopteryx donat harboring Mariani, 1932
• Cosmopteryx formosa Amsel, 1935
• Cosmopteryx coryphae Agenjo, 1952

Documents

• Splendor falter
• Cosmopterigidae