Cosmopterix clandestinella - Hodges#1475
Cosmopterix clandestinella
This record describes Cosmopterix clandestinella (species). Recorded family: Cosmopterigidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
See description and figures here .
Identification notes
See description and figures here .
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Gelechioidea
- Family
- Cosmopterigidae (Cosmet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Cosmopteriginae
- Genus
- Cosmopterix
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
From Massachusetts and southern Ohio south to Virginia and North Carolina (Hodges, 1978 ), Michigan (fig. 273) .
Seasonal Activity
There are two generations, the adults have emerged from late May to early June and again in late July and August (Hodges, 1978 ). The specimens from Michigan are obviously from the second generation, the mines were collected in August and the adults emerged in May .
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Dichanthelium clandestinum (L.) Gould (Busck, 1906, as Panicum clandestinum ) (Poaceae) .
Life History
Leaf miner. The mine is an irregular longitudinal blotch mine with the frass ejected at one end. At maturity the larva cuts a circular piece out of the epidermis of its mine, which it bends lengthwise and uses for a cocoon exactly like the genus Cycloplasis Clemens (formerly in Heliodinidae, unresolved taxonomy) (Busck, 1906) .
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Cosmopterix clandestinella Busck, 1906 Cosmopteryx clandestinella Busck, 1906
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Cosmopterix clandestinella. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Cosmopterix clandestinella - Hodges#1475 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Charley Eiseman; Additional contributions by Kyhl Austin
Frequently Asked Questions About Cosmopterix clandestinella - Hodges#1475
What is Cosmopterix clandestinella - Hodges#1475?
Cosmopterix clandestinella - Hodges#1475 (Cosmopterix clandestinella) is a species in the family Cosmopterigidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Cosmopterix clandestinella - Hodges#1475?
See description and figures here .
Where is Cosmopterix clandestinella - Hodges#1475 found?
Range: From Massachusetts and southern Ohio south to Virginia and North Carolina (Hodges, 1978 ), Michigan (fig. 273) .
What does Cosmopterix clandestinella - Hodges#1475 eat?
The diet of the Cosmopterix clandestinella - Hodges#1475 includes Dichanthelium clandestinum (L.) Gould (Busck, 1906, as Panicum clandestinum ) (Poaceae) ..
When is Cosmopterix clandestinella - Hodges#1475 active?
Cosmopterix clandestinella - Hodges#1475: seasonal activity - There are two generations, the adults have emerged from late May to early June and again in late July and August (Hodges, 1978 ). The specimens from Michigan are obviously from the second generation, the mines were collected in August and the adults emerged in May ..
What is the life cycle of a Cosmopterix clandestinella - Hodges#1475?
Leaf miner. The mine is an irregular longitudinal blotch mine with the frass ejected at one end. At maturity the larva cuts a circular piece out of the epidermis of its mine, which it bends lengthwise and uses for a cocoon exactly like the genus Cycloplasis Clemens (formerly in Heliodinidae, unresolved taxonomy) (Busck, 1906) .