Eteobalea teucrii

Eteobalea teucrii is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of the splendor butterfly ( Cosmopterigidae ).

Features

The moths reach a wingspan of 16-19 millimeters. The head is white and on the sides and rear ocher to light brown. The antennae are dark brown. The last third may be indistinct pale curled. The thorax is black. The abdomen is ocher brown at the base on the upper side pale and silvery on the sides more. There is wide banded dark gray in the back part and on the bottom. The legs are creamy white and have the rear tibiae and basal joints of the tarsi dark gray bands. Scales are found only on the distal joints. The harness is pronounced clearly in the middle and rear legs. The forewings are broad and resemble Eteobalea sumptuosella. The second white Costalfleck is larger and underneath pale golden spot is very small. The third white Costalfleck is large and apically distinctly pointed. Sometimes there is just below a pale golden spot. At the apex there is a white spot, which is sometimes provided with some pale golden scales. The forewing underside shines brown, is located in the center near the wing base a yellowish ocher stain. The hindwing shining brownish gray, lighter at the base. The retinaculum is ocher yellow.

In the males, the Tegumen is long and almost parallel walls. The rear recess is V-shaped. The right brachium is straight and about three times as long as the left. It is flattened and extends distally. Inside the base is a large lobe. The left brachium has a rather blunt apex. The Valven are concave and have a roundish cucullus. The right Valvella is narrow, tapering to a blunt apex. On the inside front of the apex a small, strongly sclerotized bar. A similar bar is located opposite to the tubular part of the aedeagus. The aedeagus is pretty slim and straight. The tubular portion is long and narrow, tapering gradually and has a sharp point.

In females, the 8th segment is short and wider than long. The ostium is circular. The sterigma is large, spherical, sclerotized. In the direction of the ostium extending curved, sclerotized strips. The ductus bursae is one and a half times as long as the corpus bursae. The corpus bursae narrows back and has a long, gradually tapering extension. It formed two large, crescent-shaped and the different time signals.

Similar Species

Eteobalea teucrii similar Eteobalea klisieckii, but is smaller and has brown forewings subpages.

Dissemination

Eteobalea teucrii is located in southern Spain and Morocco.

Biology

The caterpillars develop on Teucrium fruticans, which arise until August elongated on stems or branches plant galls of February. The moths fly from September to early October.

System

From the literature the following synonym is known:

• Stagmatophora teucrii Walsingham, 1907

Documents

• Cosmopterigidae
• Splendor falter