Cosmopterix nitens - Hodges#1469
Cosmopterix nitens
This record describes Cosmopterix nitens (species). Recorded family: Cosmopterigidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Head: frons shining ochreous-white, vertex, neck tufts and collar shining pale bronze brown with greenish gloss; labial palpus, first segment very short, white, second segment three-quarters of the length of third, grey with white longitudinal lines laterally and ventrally, third segment white, lined dark greyish brown laterally. Larva: black head, yellowish-orange to brownish body, red dorsal and single lateral broken lines.
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
"It is known from the United States, where it is found from coastal South Carolina to south-western Texas." Type locality : Southwest Texas [BMNH].
Seasonal Activity
Adults fly March/April through October . Probably multivoltine in the south and univoltine in the north.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: The larvae feed on Phragmites australis . They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a gallery ranging in length from three to seven cm. The frass is piled at basal end of the mine and expelled from an opening at that end. The larva moves along the mine when disturbed. It hibernates in its cocoon inside the mine.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Cosmopterix nitens. 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 nitens - Hodges#1469 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robert Lord Zimlich; Additional contributions by Kyhl Austin
Frequently Asked Questions About Cosmopterix nitens - Hodges#1469
What is Cosmopterix nitens - Hodges#1469?
Cosmopterix nitens - Hodges#1469 (Cosmopterix nitens) is a species in the family Cosmopterigidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Cosmopterix nitens - Hodges#1469?
3.8 - 4.5 mm FW length
How do you identify Cosmopterix nitens - Hodges#1469?
Head: frons shining ochreous-white, vertex, neck tufts and collar shining pale bronze brown with greenish gloss; labial palpus, first segment very short, white, second segment three-quarters of the length of third, grey with white longitudinal lines laterally and ventrally, third segment white, lined dark greyish brown laterally. Larva: black head, yellowish-orange to brownish body, red dorsal and single lateral broken lines.
Where is Cosmopterix nitens - Hodges#1469 found?
Range: It is known from the United States, where it is found from coastal South Carolina to south-western Texas. Type locality : Southwest Texas [BMNH].
What does Cosmopterix nitens - Hodges#1469 eat?
The diet of the Cosmopterix nitens - Hodges#1469 includes The larvae feed on Phragmites australis . They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a gallery ranging in length from three to seven cm. The frass is piled at basal end of the mine and expelled from an opening at that end. The larva moves along the mine when disturbed. It hibernates in its cocoon inside the mine..
When is Cosmopterix nitens - Hodges#1469 active?
Cosmopterix nitens - Hodges#1469: seasonal activity - Adults fly March/April through October . Probably multivoltine in the south and univoltine in the north..