''Cosmopterix'' is a large genus 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 ...

in the family Cosmopterigidae (cosmet moths).

Description

Adult

''Cosmopterix'' species are very small to small moths with a forewing length of 2.9-6.5 mm. Head smooth-scaled, rather long and narrow caused by the large and bent scales on the vertex; frons distinctly lighter than vertex, from vertex to neck tufts often a median and/or two lateral white lines; antenna three-quarters to four-fifths of the length of forewing, often slightly serrate distally, and generally with a white, often partly interrupted, anterior line and several white sections in the apical part; labial palpus cylindrical, porrect, apical segment strongly angled upwards and often reaching well above the head. Thorax with or without a median white line, tegulae often lined white inwardly. Forewing narrowly lanceolate with long and very narrowly protruding apex and usually with a very characteristic yellow or orange fascia beyond the middle, this fascia bordered by tubercular metallic fasciae or spots; basal area with a metallic fascia or spots or with three to six longitudinal lines of different length, cilia concolorous around apex, paler towards dorsum. Hindwing almost linear, less than half the width of forewing and acutely pointed, from pale yellow to dark grey, without markings, cilia concolorous without ciliary lines. The forewing can generally be divided into three parts: The basal area from base to middle of wing, followed by the broad transverse fascia and beyond this the apical area. The basal area generally with a series of longitudinal lines, often very narrow or a single and oblique, sometimes interrupted, fascia. The lines are mentioned from costa to dorsum as the costal, the subcostal, the medial, the subdorsal and the dorsal line. The transverse fascia is strikingly coloured from pale yellow to orange and in combination with the narrow wings it makes the species of Cosmopterix and Pebobs easy recognisable. The transverse fascia is always more or less edged on both sides by fasciae or spots. These fascia or spots consist of very strikingly silver or golden metallic coloured tubercular scales. Some species partly or completely lack the yellowish colour of the transverse fascia. However, the presence of the ‘fascia’ can be observed by the lining tubercular fasciae or spots. The transverse fascia can be edged by a combination of inner and outer fasciae and/or by an inner and outer (sub)costal and (sub)dorsal spots. Sometimes the (sub)costal and (sub)dorsal spots are situated inside the transverse fascia. The apical area is generally concolorous with the basal area, but occasionally the colouration differs. In the centre or on the dorsal side of the apical area is a longitudinal apical line, running from the transverse fascia to apex of forewing. This line is often interrupted or only present as one or more dots or streaks. Markings of the costal and dorsal cilia of the forewing are as follows: a white streak from outer costal spot in almost all of the species, a white streak or spot connected to the apical line is very common, and occasionally there is a white streak from outer dorsal spot. For identification of the species by the external features, mainly the markings of the head, thorax and forewing are of diagnostic importance. Wing venation with 12 veins in forewing and 7 veins in hindwing. Forewing with Sc and R1-R4 to costa; R5 directing towards the narrow tip; M1-CuA2 to termen; CuP very weak and not reaching termen; 1A+2A with basal fork, to dorsum. Hindwing Sc and Rs to costa; M1-CuA2 to termen; veins often not fully developed due to the narrow shape of the hindwing.The genera Cosmopterix Hübner and Pebobs Hodges in the New World with special attention to the Neotropical fauna (Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae)
/ref>

Biology

The larvae are

leaf miner A leaf miner is any one of numerous species of insects in which the larval stage lives in, and eats, the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths (Lepidoptera), sawflies (Symphyta, the mother clade of wasps), ...

s on a large diversity of usually herbaceous plants. They have been found oligophagous or even monophagous on the following plant families:

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

, Cannabaceae, Convolvulaceae,

Cyperaceae The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' w ...

Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

, Urticaceae. The mines are blotch mines and in several species the larvae more or less frequently change mines. Larvae of other species stay in a single mine during their complete development and leave the mine only prior to pupation or pupate inside the mine. In several species the larva constructs a silken tunnel inside the mine in which it hides when not feeding or when disturbed. In colder climates species usually have one generation where hibernation takes place in the larval stage in a cocoon in or outside the mine. Pupation takes place in spring. In warmer climates the species have more than one, sometimes overlapping, generations. For ''

Cosmopterix gomezpompai ''Cosmopterix gomezpompai'' is a moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is known from Costa Rica. Adults have been recorded in June. They have been observed twirling and dancing on a leaf. Description Female. Forewing length 3.2 mm. Head: ...

'' a twirling behaviour has been observed by the adult. In this case the moth runs on the upper side of a leaf and simultaneously makes very fast circling movements. As soon as it comes across something unusual on the surface, like a spot, the circling slows down and is concentrated on that spot. It appears that it is feeding mostly on the dark brown spots (most likely a part of a bird dropping) on the leaf. Probably the moth is looking for nutrition. The twirling behaviour, without the possible feeding, has also been observed with ''

Cosmopterix pulchrimella ''Cosmopterix pulchrimella'', the beautiful cosmopterix moth, is a moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is known from the United States (from Massachusetts, Michigan, and southern Wyoming south to southern Florida, southern Arizona, and New Me ...

'' in Greece. This behaviour is described for '' Cosmopterix victor'' and also for a species of the family Gelechiidae.

Selected species

*''

Cosmopterix abnormalis ''Cosmopterix abnormalis'' is a moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is known from the Cayman Islands, Haiti and Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island o ...

'' Walsingham, 1897 *''

Cosmopterix aculeata ''Cosmopterix aculeata'' is a moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is known from India (Assam), China and Australia. It is multivoltine, with adults recorded from March to November. References aculeata Aculeata is a subclade of Hymen ...

'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix acutivalva'' Kuroko, 1987 *''

Cosmopterix adrastea ''Cosmopterix adrastea'' is a moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is known from Cuba. Adults were collected in June. Description Male. Forewing length 3.6-3.8 mm. Head: frons shining greyish white with greenish and reddish reflections, ...

'' Koster, 2010 *''

Cosmopterix albicaudis ''Cosmopterix albicaudis'' is a moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is known from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the US Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin I ...

'' Meyrick, 1932 *''

Cosmopterix amalthea ''Cosmopterix amalthea'' is a moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is known from Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla d ...

'' Koster, 2010 *''

Cosmopterix anadoxa ''Cosmopterix anadoxa'' is a moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1909. It is found in India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest cou ...

'' Meyrick, 1909 *''

Cosmopterix ananke ''Cosmopterix ananke'' is a moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is known from the Federal District of Brazil. Adults were collected in May. Description Male. Forewing length 4.1 mm. Head: frons shining pale ochreous-grey with greenish a ...

'' Koster, 2010 *''

Cosmopterix ancalodes ''Cosmopterix ancalodes'' is a moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1919. It is found in India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest c ...

'' Meyrick, 1909 *''

Cosmopterix ancistraea ''Cosmopterix ancistraea'' is a moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1913. It is found in South Africa. The wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip ...

'' Meyrick, 1913 *''

Cosmopterix angoonae ''Cosmopterix angoonae'' is a moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is known from Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of th ...

'' Kuroko, 1987 *''

Cosmopterix antemidora ''Cosmopterix antemidora'' is a moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1909. It is found in Kodagu district Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative district in the Karnataka state ...

'' Meyrick, 1909 *''

Cosmopterix antichorda ''Cosmopterix antichorda'' is a moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1909. It is found in South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa ...

'' Meyrick, 1909 *''

Cosmopterix aphranassa ''Cosmopterix aphranassa'' is a moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1926. It is found on Rapa Iti Rapa, also called Rapa Iti, or "Little Rapa", to distinguish it from Easter Island, whose Polynesian name i ...

'' Meyrick, 1926 *'' Cosmopterix argentifera'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix argentitegulella'' Sinev, 1985 *'' Cosmopterix artifica'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix asiatica'' Stainton, 1859 *'' Cosmopterix asignella'' Sinev, 1988 *'' Cosmopterix astrapias'' Walsingham, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix asymmetrella'' Sinev, 1993 *'' Cosmopterix athesiae'' Huemer & Koster 2006 *'' Cosmopterix attenuatella'' Walker, 1864 *''

Cosmopterix aurella ''Cosmopterix aurella'' is a moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. It was described by John David Bradley in 1959. It is found on Rennell Island Rennell Island, locally known as Mugaba, is the main island of two inhabited islands that make up th ...

'' Bradley, 1959 *'' Cosmopterix aurotegulae'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix bacata'' Hodges, 1962 *'' Cosmopterix bactrophora'' Meyrick, 1908 *'' Cosmopterix baihashanella'' Kuroko & Y.Q. Liu, 2005 *'' Cosmopterix bambusae'' Meyrick, 1917 *''

Cosmopterix basilisca ''Cosmopterix basilisca'' is a moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. 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 en ...

'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix beckeri'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix belonacma'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix bichromella'' Sinev & Park, 1994 *'' Cosmopterix bifidiguttata'' Kuroko & Y.Q. Liu, 2005 *'' Cosmopterix brachyclina'' Meyrick, 1933 *'' Cosmopterix brevicaudella'' Kuroko & Y.Q. Liu, 2005 *'' Cosmopterix callichalca'' Meyrick, 1922 *'' Cosmopterix callinympha'' Meyrick, 1913 *'' Cosmopterix calliochra'' Turner, 1926 *'' Cosmopterix callisto'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix calypso'' Meyrick, 1919 *'' Cosmopterix carpo'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix catharacma'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix chalcelata'' Turner, 1923 *'' Cosmopterix chaldene'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix chalupae'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix chalybaeella'' Walsingham, 1889 *'' Cosmopterix chasanica'' Sinev, 1985 *'' Cosmopterix chisosensis'' Hodges, 1978 *'' Cosmopterix chlorochalca'' Meyrick, 1915 *'' Cosmopterix chlorochalca'' Meyrick, 1915 *'' Cosmopterix chrysobela'' Meyrick, 1928 *'' Cosmopterix chrysocrates'' Meyrick, 1919 *'' Cosmopterix circe'' Meyrick, 1921 *'' Cosmopterix citrinopa'' Meyrick, 1915 *'' Cosmopterix clandestinella'' Busck, 1906 *'' Cosmopterix clemensella'' Stainton, 1860 *'' Cosmopterix cleophanes'' Meyrick, 1937 *'' Cosmopterix cognita'' Walsingham, 1891 *'' Cosmopterix complicata'' Kuroko, 1987 *'' Cosmopterix coryphaea'' Walsingham, 1908 *''

Cosmopterix crassicervicella ''Cosmopterix crassicervicella'' is a moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is found from southern France and the Iberian Peninsula to Greece and Crete. It is also found on the Canary Islands and in the United Arab Emirates. Adults are on wing ...

'' Chretien, 1896 *'' Cosmopterix cuprea'' Lower, 1916 *'' Cosmopterix cyclopaea'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix dacryodes'' Meyrick, 1911 *'' Cosmopterix damnosa'' Hodges, 1962 *'' Cosmopterix dapifera'' Hodges, 1962 *'' Cosmopterix delicatella'' Walsingham, 1889 *'' Cosmopterix diandra'' Clarke, 1986 *'' Cosmopterix diaphora'' Walsingham, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix diplozona'' Meyrick, 1921 *'' Cosmopterix dulcivora'' Meyrick, 1919 *'' Cosmopterix ebriola'' Hodges, 1962 *'' Cosmopterix emmolybda'' Meyrick, 1914 *'' Cosmopterix epismaragda'' Meyrick, 1932 *'' Cosmopterix epizona'' Meyrick, 1897 *'' Cosmopterix erasmia'' Meyrick, 1915 *'' Cosmopterix erethista'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix erinome'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix ermolaevi'' Sinev, 1985 *'' Cosmopterix etmylaurae'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix euanthe'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix eukelade'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix euporie'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix facunda'' Hodges, 1978 *'' Cosmopterix feminella'' Sinev, 1988 *'' Cosmopterix fernaldella'' Walsingham, 1882 *'' Cosmopterix flava'' Sinev, 1986 *'' Cosmopterix flavidella'' Kuroko, 2011 *'' Cosmopterix floridanella'' Beutenmüller, 1889 *'' Cosmopterix fulminella'' Stringer, 1930 *'' Cosmopterix galapagosensis'' Landry, 2001 *'' Cosmopterix ganymedes'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix geminella'' Sinev, 1985 *'' Cosmopterix gemmiferella'' Clemens, 1860 *'' Cosmopterix gielisorum'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix glaucogramma'' Meyrick, 1934 *'' Cosmopterix gloriosa'' Meyrick, 1922 *''

'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix gracilis'' Sinev, 1985 *'' Cosmopterix gramineella'' Kuroko, 1987 *'' Cosmopterix hamifera'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix harpalyke'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix heliactis'' Meyrick, 1897 *'' Cosmopterix helike'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix hermippe'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix hieraspis'' Meyrick, 1924 *'' Cosmopterix himalia'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix holophracta'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix inaugurata'' Meyrick, 1922 *'' Cosmopterix infundibulella'' Sinev, 1988 *'' Cosmopterix ingeniosa'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix inopis'' Hodges, 1962 *'' Cosmopterix interfracta'' Meyrick, 1922 *'' Cosmopterix io'' Koster, 2010 *''

Cosmopterix iocaste ''Cosmopterix iocaste'' is a moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is known from the Federal District of Brazil. Adults have been recorded in February. Description Male. Forewing length 3.5 mm. Head: frons shining pale brown with greenish ...

'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix iphigona'' Meyrick, 1915 *'' Cosmopterix irrubricata'' Walsingham, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix isoteles'' Meyrick, 1919 *'' Cosmopterix isotoma'' Meyrick, 1915 *'' Cosmopterix issikiella'' Kuroko, 1957 *'' Cosmopterix javanica'' Kuroko, 2011 *'' Cosmopterix jiangxiella'' Kuroko & Y.Q. Liu, 2005 *'' Cosmopterix karsholti'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix kerzhneri'' Sinev, 1982 *'' Cosmopterix kurilensis'' Sinev, 1985 *'' Cosmopterix kurokoi'' Sinev, 1985 *'' Cosmopterix kuznetzovi'' Sinev, 1988 *'' Cosmopterix laetifica'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix laetificoides'' Sinev, 1993 *'' Cosmopterix langmaidi'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix latilineata'' Kuroko, 1987 *'' Cosmopterix lautissimella'' Amsel, 1968 *'' Cosmopterix lespedezae'' Walsingham, 1882 *'' Cosmopterix licnura'' Meyrick, 1909 *''

Cosmopterix lienigiella ''Cosmopterix lienigiella'' is a moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is found from Fennoscandia to Spain, the Alps and Greece and from Ireland to Ukraine. It is also present in eastern Russia and Japan. It is the type species of the genus ''Cos ...

'' Zeller, 1846 *'' Cosmopterix ligyrodes'' Meyrick, 1915 *'' Cosmopterix longilineata'' Kuroko, 1987 *'' Cosmopterix longivalvella'' Kuroko & Y.Q. Liu, 2005 *'' Cosmopterix lummyae'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix lungsuana'' Kuroko, 2008 *'' Cosmopterix luteoapicalis'' Sinev, 2002 *'' Cosmopterix lysithea'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix macroglossa'' Meyrick, 1913 *'' Cosmopterix macrula'' Meyrick, 1897 *'' Cosmopterix madeleinae'' Landry, 2001 *'' Cosmopterix magophila'' Meyrick, 1919 *'' Cosmopterix manipularis'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix margaritae'' Kuroko, 2011 *'' Cosmopterix maritimella'' Sinev, 1985 *'' Cosmopterix melanarches'' Meyrick, 1928 *'' Cosmopterix metis'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix minutella'' Beutenmüller, 1889 *'' Cosmopterix mneme'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix molybdina'' Hodges, 1962 *'' Cosmopterix montisella'' Chambers, 1875 *'' Cosmopterix mystica'' Meyrick, 1897 *'' Cosmopterix nanshanella'' Kuroko & Y.Q. Liu, 2005 *'' Cosmopterix navarroi'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix neodesma'' Meyrick, 1915 *'' Cosmopterix nieukerkeni'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix nishidai'' Koster, 2010 *''

Cosmopterix nitens ''Cosmopterix nitens'' is a moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is known from the United States, where it is found from coastal South Carolina to south-western Texas. It is also established in Michigan. Description Adult Male, female. Forew ...

'' Walsingham, 1889 *'' Cosmopterix nonna'' Clarke, 1986 *'' Cosmopterix nyctiphanes'' Meyrick, 1915 *'' Cosmopterix ochleria'' Walsingham, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix omelkoi'' Sinev, 1993 *'' Cosmopterix opulenta'' Braun, 1919 *'' Cosmopterix orichalcea'' Stainton, 1861 *''

Cosmopterix ornithognathosella ''Cosmopterix ornithognathosella'' is a moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. It was described by Wolfram Mey in 1998. It is found on Mindanao in the Philippines., 1998: New records of ''Cosmopterix'' Hübner, 825 __NOTOC__ Year 825 ( DCCCXXV) ...

'' Mey, 1998 *'' Cosmopterix orthosie'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix oxyglossa'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix pallifasciella'' Snellen, 1897 *'' Cosmopterix paltophanes'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix panayella'' Mey, 1998 *'' Cosmopterix panopla'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Cosmopterix pararufella'' Riedl, 1976 *'' Cosmopterix pentachorda'' Meyrick, 1915 *'' Cosmopterix phaeogastra'' Meyrick, 1917 *'' Cosmopterix phaesphora'' Turner, 1923 *'' Cosmopterix phyladelphella'' Sinev, 1985 *''

Cosmopterix phyllostachysea ''Cosmopterix phyllostachysea'' is a moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is known from China (Jiangxi) and Japan. The length of the forewings is about 6 mm. The larvae have been recorded feeding on Poaceae species in China and on ''Ph ...

'' Kuroko, 1975 *'' Cosmopterix pimmaarteni'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix plesiasta'' Meyrick, 1919 *'' Cosmopterix plumbigutella'' Kuroko, 1987 *'' Cosmopterix pocsi'' Sinev, 1988 *'' Cosmopterix praxidike'' Koster, 2010 *'' Cosmopterix pseudomontisella'' Sinev, 1988 *''

Status unknown

*''Cosmopterix phengitella'' (Hübner, 1811), described from Europe in ''Tinea''

Selected former species

*'' Cosmopterix ceriocosma'' Meyrick, 1934 *'' Cosmopterix labathiella'' Viette, 1956 Furthermore, ''"Cosmopterix" cyanosticta'' is not a cosmet moth, but belongs to the

fungus moth Tineidae is a family of moths in the order Lepidoptera described by Pierre André Latreille in 1810. Collectively, they are known as fungus moths or tineid moths. The family contains considerably more than 3,000 species in more than 300 genera. ...

genus '' Erechthias''.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q146874