Tortilia pallidella
Tortilia pallidella is a butterfly of the family of Stathmopodidae.
- 5.1 Notes and references
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 6.3 to 8.9 millimeters. The head is yellowish gray and shiny. The Patagia ( paired structure on the pronotum that covers the base of the front wings ) are dark yellow and gray on the sides. The sensors are ocher in the first fifth of white. The basal joint ( scape ) is gray-brown. The thorax shining pale yellowish gray and has the back on the sides yellowish orange dandruff hair. The tegulae shining pale yellowish gray and have forward a pale yellow spot. The forewing shining pale yellowish gray and purple shimmer. A small dark gray costal spot is located at the wing base to which is adjoined by a yellowish orange stain. A narrow subcostale binding is located at about a third of the forewing. A bent inwards, dorsal thicker yellowish orange binding is located in the first quarter of the forewing. The fringe scales are yellowish white, and can sometimes be darker at the apex. The hind wings shining white and tinted yellowish. The abdomen shining gray, the segments are brownish at the base. The Analbüschel shines white. The legs are yellowish gray, the hind legs are mottled dark distally.
In the males, the Tegumen with uncus and Gnathos is significantly shorter than the Valven. The Valven and cucullus are distally rounded and slightly curved upwards. The Costa is short and hardly separated from the cucullus. The saccule is short and tapers. The aedeagus is straight and distally pointed, at the end there is a hook- shaped extension. In females, the antrum is wide and densely covered with fine spines. On the corpus bursae is a complex built Signum, which is shorter than half the corpus width. The bulla has four sting spots of various sizes, two are stretched and another two are short.
Similar Species
T. pallidella can be distinguished from other species of the genus on the basis of pale yellowish gray Tortilia, purple shimmering forewings.
Dissemination
Tortilia pallidella is native to the Middle East, in Israel, in the south of Iran and western Pakistan.
Biology
The biology of the species is unknown. In Iran, the species was found in the first half of April, often under old acacia trees (Acacia ). In Karachi ( Pakistan) moths were caught from late February to early March. In Israel, a moth was observed in mid-August.
System
The type locality is located 8 kilometers east of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. The holotype is a female that was captured on 11 April 1972.