Pyroderces argyrogrammos
Pyroderces argyrogrammos is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of the splendor butterfly ( Cosmopterigidae ).
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 11-17 millimeters. The head is white and ocher-brown on the sides. The sensors are ocher- gray and have a white line that extends from the base to beyond the first quarter. The last two thirds of the sensors are sawn. The thorax is ocher brown and has a white center line. The tegulae are also ocher-brown and the inside lined white. The front wings are ocher-brown, have a satin white markings and a basal longitudinal line in front of the wing inner edge. A sloping inwards binding is located at 1 /3 of the forewing length. Is interrupted in the middle. An irregular Costalstrich is located forward of the wing center and bifurcates towards apex. In the middle of the wing inner edge there are two spots, another is in the Diskalzelle. To subscribe, or include some Subcostalflecke in the apical region and a broken line, which extends to the wing tips of the interior angles. Most strokes and stains are lined with irregular dark brown. The fringe scales are ocher-brown at the apex, the inner angle ocher yellow and gray towards the wing inner edge. The hind wings are gray and have gray ocher Frans shed. The abdomen is ocher- gray, the segments are banded behind white. The satin white markings and dark brown edge of the forewing are variable.
In the males, the Tegumen is roundish. The right brachium is curved, while the left almost straight. The Valven are spatulate and have a slightly concave upper edge. The lower edge is convex. The aedeagus is clipped and has a flange-shaped basal ring, which is laterally provided with two projections. The slightly curved Manica tapers distally and has a downwardly curved tip. The left Valvella is long and slender and somewhat narrower in the middle. The right Valvella is very short and blunt.
In females, the ostium has a sclerotized ring and an opening on the left side of the asymmetric sterigma. The ductus bursae is membranous and slightly shorter than the corpus bursae. The corpus bursae is oval. The signals have two different sized and different shaped rows of irregular needles.
Similar Species
A similar type is Pyroderces caesaris. The distinguishing features are described in Artartikel.
Dissemination
Pyroderces argyrogrammos is native to South and Central Europe. In the north, the species was observed up to the north central Germany. The range extends from the Canary Islands in the west over the Mediterranean to Iran and Central Asia. The species is very common in steppe and forest-steppe.
Biology
The caterpillars develop on Eberwurzen ( Carlina ), Knapweed (Centaurea ) and ring thistles ( Carduus ). Also on blessed thistle ( Cnicus benedictus ), Spanish gold thistle ( Scolymus hispanicus ), Woolly safflower ( Carthamus lanatus ), safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius ) and Pycnomon acarna caterpillars were detected. They burrow into the tubular flowers and feed mainly on seeds. The different generations develop on different plants. The caterpillars overwinter and pupate in a loose cocoon between the pappus of the seeds. The infested seed heads are very noticeable, especially in winter, because they are not open. It makes two generations per year, in the south, a third generation is possible. The moths are active almost throughout the warm season. In the Mediterranean, the moths occur irregularly from late April to late September in appearance.
System
There are known the following synonyms:
- Cosmopteryx argyrogrammos Zeller, 1847
- Pyroderces goldeggiella Herrich -Schäffer, 1853