Vulcaniella klimeschi

Vulcaniella klimeschi is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of the splendor butterfly ( Cosmopterigidae ).

Features

The moths reach a wingspan of 7-9 millimeters. The head is bronze. Thorax and tegulae shining dark golden brown and are each lined with white back. Vulcaniella klimeschi has similarly drawn forewing as Vulcaniella grabowiella.

In the males the right brachium is curved and narrowed distally. The left brachium is slightly curved and has a rounded apex. The Valven are parallel-walled and quite wide. The right Valvella is slightly shorter than the distal part of the aedeagus and very strong. It tapers distally to a rounded apex. The left Valvella is elongate triangular. The distal part of aedeagus tapering distally gradually.

The genital armature of females resembles that of Vulcaniella grabowiella, but has a V-shaped Antevaginalplatte, the sclerotization at the rear end of the 7th sternite is saccular and the ductus bursae is only half as long as the corpus bursae.

Similar Species

Vulcaniella klimeschi has similarly drawn forewing as Vulcaniella grabowiella, on the front wing base but there is a small white spot. For reliable species identification an examination of the genitals is required.

Dissemination

Vulcaniella klimeschi was detected in Macedonia, Greece and Crete.

Biology

The caterpillars develop in the leaves of Salvia ringens in a bilateral space mining. The mine begins as a dark burrow in the leaf midrib. It is later continued as a space mine that is lined with silk and contains no Raupenkot. At the beginning of the mine the caterpillars produce a silk cocoon, which is covered with Raupenkot. In Greece and Crete moths were collected in the first half of June.

System

From the literature the following synonym is known:

• Stagmatophora klimeschi Riedl, 1966

Documents

• Cosmopterigidae
• Splendor falter