Cosmopterix montisella - Hodges#1476
Cosmopterix montisella
This record describes Cosmopterix montisella (species). Recorded family: Cosmopterigidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
See description and figures here . The orange-brown transverse fascia can be completely dark bronze brown, like the rest of the forewing. This form was formerly described as C. unicolorella Walsingham, 1889.
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
"According to Hodges (1978 ) the species has been found from New York and Oregon south to New Mexico, Arizona and California. Single specimens have been collected in Arkansas and Iowa, now also established in Michigan."
Seasonal Activity
"Univoltine throughout much of the range from early June to mid-September. Bivoltine in southern Arizona in July and August and late September (Hodges, 1978 )."
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Unknown
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Cosmopterix montisella. 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 montisella - Hodges#1476 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by john and jane balaban; Additional contributions by Kyhl Austin
Frequently Asked Questions About Cosmopterix montisella - Hodges#1476
What is Cosmopterix montisella - Hodges#1476?
Cosmopterix montisella - Hodges#1476 (Cosmopterix montisella) is a species in the family Cosmopterigidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Cosmopterix montisella - Hodges#1476?
See description and figures here .
Where is Cosmopterix montisella - Hodges#1476 found?
Range: According to Hodges (1978 ) the species has been found from New York and Oregon south to New Mexico, Arizona and California. Single specimens have been collected in Arkansas and Iowa, now also established in Michigan.
What does Cosmopterix montisella - Hodges#1476 eat?
The diet of the Cosmopterix montisella - Hodges#1476 includes Unknown.
When is Cosmopterix montisella - Hodges#1476 active?
Cosmopterix montisella - Hodges#1476: seasonal activity - Univoltine throughout much of the range from early June to mid-September. Bivoltine in southern Arizona in July and August and late September (Hodges, 1978 )..