''Brenthia coronigera'', commonly known as the metalmark moth, is a species of

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

of the family

Choreutidae Choreutidae, or metalmark moths, are a family of insects in the lepidopteran order whose relationships have been long disputed. It was placed previously in the superfamily Yponomeutoidea in family Glyphipterigidae and in superfamily Sesioide ...

. It was described by

Edward Meyrick Edward Meyrick (25 November 1854, in Ramsbury – 31 March 1938, at Thornhanger, Marlborough) was an English schoolmaster and amateur entomologist. He was an expert on microlepidoptera and some consider him one of the founders of modern micr ...

in 1918. It is found in the

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

region of what was

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

. The adult moth is a mimic of predatory jumping spiders; the moth's forewings are held aloft and have bold black spots, which resemble spider eyes, while its hindwings, which are held in a twisted position and are marked with stripes, resemble spider legs. The moth also moves in a jumpy, jerky fashion, like a jumping spider, rather than fluttering like other moths. Its mimicry is so convincing that spiders respond by trying to court the moth, rather than attacking it. The larvae feed on ''

Cordia obliqua ''Cordia obliqua'', the clammy cherry, is a flowering plant species in the genus ''Cordia''. The larvae of '' Brenthia coronigera'', a species of moth found in Bengal, India, feeds on ''Cordia obliqua''. Hesperetin 7-rhamnoside, a glycoside of ...

'' and ''

Cordia myxa ''Cordia myxa'', the Assyrian plum, is a mid-sized, deciduous tree in the borage family (Boraginaceae), native to Asia. It produces small, edible fruit and is found in warmer areas across Africa and Asia. Other common names include lasura, lav ...

''.HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
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References

Brenthia Moths described in 1918 {{Choreutidae-stub