''Stenoptilodes taprobanes'' is a

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

Pterophoridae The Pterophoridae or plume moths are a family of Lepidoptera with unusually modified wings. Though they belong to the Apoditrysia like the larger moths and the butterflies, unlike these they are tiny and were formerly included among the assemblag ...

. This species has a

pantropical A pantropical ("all tropics") distribution is one which covers Tropics, tropical regions of both hemispheres. Examples of species include caecilians, modern sirenians and the plant genera ''Acacia'' and ''Bacopa''. ''Neotropical'' is a zoogeogra ...

distribution, which extends into subtropical areas. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...

is . Its appearance is highly similar to that of ''

Stenoptilodes brevipennis ''Stenoptilodes brevipennis'' is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. It is known from Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad and Uruguay, as well as most of the United States a ...

'' and for identification, the species needs to be characterized by the genitalia. The larvae have been reported feeding on a various plants, including '' Hypoestes betsiliensis'', '' Campylanthus salsoloides'', '' Centipeda minima'', ''

Hydrolea ''Hydrolea'' (false fiddleleaf) is the only genus of the family Hydroleaceae of the order Solanales. Synonyms * '' H. capsularis'' synonym for ''Hydrolea spinosa'' L. * '' H. glabra'' synonym for ''Hydrolea spinosa'' L. * '' H. prostrata'' sy ...

'' species, '' Spergularia maritima'', ''

Vaccinium ''Vaccinium'' is a common and widespread genus of shrubs or dwarf shrubs in the heath family (Ericaceae). The fruits of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the cranberry, blueberry, bilberry (whort ...

'' species, ''

Sabatia ''Sabatia'', the rose gentians, is a genus of about 20 species of flowering plants in the family Gentianaceae, native to eastern and central North America (Nova Scotia west to Wisconsin and New Mexico, and south to Florida and Texas), Central A ...

'' species, ''

Clinopodium vulgare ''Clinopodium vulgare'', the wild basil, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. Description Wild basil is a perennial rhizomatous herb with square, upright, hairy stems and opposite pairs of leaves. The leaves are hairy, ovate ...

'', ''

Antirrhinum majus ''Antirrhinum majus'', the common snapdragon (often - especially in horticulture - simply "snapdragon"), is a species of flowering plant belonging to the genus ''Antirrhinum''. The plant was placed in the family Plantaginaceae following a revis ...

'' and ''

Samolus ''Samolus'' (known as brookweed, or water pimpernel) is a widely distributed genus of about a dozen species of water-loving herbs. According to the APG III classification, this genus belongs to the family Primulaceae in the order Ericales. It was ...

''. Adults are on wing in February, April, July and September.

Gallery

Stenoptilodes taprobanes from Sri Lanka.jpg,

References

taprobanes Moths described in 1875 Moths of Australia Moths of Europe Moths of Cape Verde Moths of Africa Moths of the Comoros Moths of Asia Moths of Japan Moths of Madagascar Moths of Mauritius Moths of Réunion Moths of São Tomé and Príncipe Moths of Seychelles Pantropical fauna Taxa named by Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer {{Pterophoridae-stub