Cosmopterigidae : Cosmopteriginae
Cosmopterix pulchrimella
Cosmopterix pulchrimella Chambers, 1875
Cosmopterix pulchrimella
Cosmopterix pulchrimella Chambers, 1875
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 6.5-9mm
Worldwide Distribution: SW Europe - ( Including - Albania,Azores,Britain,Canary Is.,Channel Is.,Corsica,Crete,Croatia,Gibralter,Greece,Italy,
Madeira,Malta,Portugal,Sardinia,Sicily,Spain & Switzerland) : North America - Massachusetts - Florida, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico
UK Distribution: Very local - where host plant grows from south coast Hampshire to Scilly Isles
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Predominately coastal : Cliffs : Stone Walls : Caves : Roadside Verges : Path Edges : Woodland : Scrub
Similar Species -
Overwinters as: Leaf Mine
Observations: This moth was first recorded in this country in 2001 in Dorset, having increased its range in southern England ever since. Possibly originates from SW Europe or Channel Islands.
The moth is nationally scarce moth under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
This moth can be identified by the orange band which occurs beyond half way along the forewing and is edged both sides by silvery metallic bands. There are also four pale metallic short longitudinal streaks in basal part of forewing.The moth also appears to have four white rings on the antennae.
Can be found flying over host plant during the day and is occasionally attracted to light.
Worldwide Distribution: SW Europe - ( Including - Albania,Azores,Britain,Canary Is.,Channel Is.,Corsica,Crete,Croatia,Gibralter,Greece,Italy,
Madeira,Malta,Portugal,Sardinia,Sicily,Spain & Switzerland) : North America - Massachusetts - Florida, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico
UK Distribution: Very local - where host plant grows from south coast Hampshire to Scilly Isles
UK Conservation Status -
- Nationally Scarce B (Nb - BAP : 1997) = 31 - 100 10Km Squares
- Only in SW Europe and Mediterranean
- Cosmopteryx pulchrimella Chambers, 1875
- Tinia zieglerella Hübner, 1810
- Covington - Kentucky, USA
Habitat: Predominately coastal : Cliffs : Stone Walls : Caves : Roadside Verges : Path Edges : Woodland : Scrub
Similar Species -
- Most Cosmosterix except C.lienigella
Overwinters as: Leaf Mine
Observations: This moth was first recorded in this country in 2001 in Dorset, having increased its range in southern England ever since. Possibly originates from SW Europe or Channel Islands.
The moth is nationally scarce moth under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
This moth can be identified by the orange band which occurs beyond half way along the forewing and is edged both sides by silvery metallic bands. There are also four pale metallic short longitudinal streaks in basal part of forewing.The moth also appears to have four white rings on the antennae.
Can be found flying over host plant during the day and is occasionally attracted to light.
Photo Gallery
Leaf Mine
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website where further information like photos,physical characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Urticaeae - Nettle Family
- Parietaria judaica - Spreading pellitory
- Parietaria officinalis - Pellitory Of The Wall
- Parietaria pensylvanica - Pennsylvania pellitory
- Pilea pumila - Canadian Clearweed
- Parietaria judaica - Spreading pellitory
Larval Food Plants
Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - COSMOPTERIX: Original Species Name: Species Names: Genus Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Gelechioidea Cosmopterigidae Cosmopteriginae COSMOPTERIX Hübner 1825 Cosmopterix pulchrimella Chambers, 1875 - Tinea zieglerella Hübner, 1810 - COSMOPTERYX pulchrimella Chambers, 1875 = Cosmopteryx parietariae M. Hering 1931 = Cosmopteryx pulcherrimella Chambers 1878 - COSMOPTERIX Hübner 1825 = Cosmopteryx Zeller 1839 = Lienigia Spuler 1910 - Cincinnati quarterly journal of science 1874 : v1-2 (3) : Title Page : p.231 -234 - C.pulchrimella - Covington, Kentucky |