Pyroderces wolschrijni

Pyroderces wolschrijni is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of the splendor butterfly ( Cosmopterigidae ). The species was named after the Lepidopterologen Jacques Wolschrijn, who collected most of the material used for the description.

Features

The moths reach a wingspan 7-11 mm. The head is on the forehead ( frons ) and vertices (vertex ) white. The neck tufts and collar are reddish brown. The antennae are dark gray and have a front white line that extends from the base up to 1 /3 of the probe length. They are easily cut in the apical half. The sensor base member ( scape ) has a distinct white line front and a white dorsal line. There is a narrow, white ring at the base. The labial palps are white. The first segment is very short, the second is three-fourths as long as the third and has a brownish gray subapical ring. The third segment is ventrally and apically dark gray.

Thorax and tegulae are reddish mixed brown and gray front. The legs are dark gray. The femurs of the middle and hind legs have white gray lines. The tibiae have subbasal, medial and subapical white rings, the Spurs are white.

The fore wings are reddish brown and have a narrow gray Costalstrich, which extends from the base to the apex. The costal half of the wing is strongly mixed gray from the base up to 2 /5 of the forewing length. A small, very oblique outwardly, whitish Subcostalstrich is 1/ 5 of the forewing length to the anal cleft. It is lined with dark gray and indistinct on both sides, speckled or completely gray. An irregular, dark gray spot is on and below the anal fold itself. It lies approximately in half of the forewing length and does not reach the wing inner edge. He is inside and outside margins narrow white lined wide white. The Apikalhälfte the front wing is obscured in the middle by an indistinct and irregular gray line. At the apex of this is surrounded on both sides by some whitish scales. The fringe scales are at the apex reddish brown, they are gray to ocher wing inner edge. Costal and dorsal to the wing tip are two dark gray lines on the fringe scales. The Dorsalstrich is narrower and less distinct. The amount of gray on the forewing is variable. In some specimens the faint white line can be strong gray speckled or completely gray.

The hind wings are tinged with pale gray and towards apex ocher. The fringe scales are ocher- gray. The abdomen is gray ocher. The segments are rear banded bright, ventrally they are white. The anus is dorsal tufts ocher and white ventrally.

In the males, the Tegumen is almost square. The right brachium is curved. It tapers distally slightly and at the top has a small hook. The left brachium is quite strong and curved at the tip inward. The Valven are long and narrow and have a basal lobe. The aedeagus is rather slender and pointed. The Manica is widest at the base. The central section is parallel walls, the apex is curved downward. The left Valvella is straight and very thin. She is half as long as the Manica, which is missing right Valvella. The very short and thin left Valvella is characteristic in connection with the curved top of the Manica for the type.

In females, the posterior Apophyses are slightly longer than the anterior Apophyses. The ostium is small and has a sclerotized ring. The ductus bursae is narrow and widens towards the ostium. He is 2/3 as long as the corpus bursae. The upper half of the corpus bursae is bulbous, the lower part is very narrow. There is a protuberance at the junction of the ductus bursae. The signals consist of two small, rounded, scaly labels.

Dissemination

Pyroderces wolschrijni is common in Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Malta ( Mellieha, Ghadira Nature Reserve, Naxxar, Rabat ).

Biology

The biology of the species is unknown. The moths were collected from mid-April to mid-May and from mid- July to mid-October. It is believed that the nature produces two generations per year.

Documents

• Splendor falter
• Cosmopterigidae