''Tasmantrix fragilis'' 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

Micropterigidae Micropterigoidea is the superfamily of "mandibulate archaic moths", all placed in the single family Micropterigidae, containing currently about twenty living genera. They are considered the most primitive extant lineage of lepidoptera (Kristense ...

from eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It is known only from a single locality in the

Shoalhaven The City of Shoalhaven is a local government area in the south-eastern coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is about south of Sydney. The Princes Highway passes through the area, and the South Coast railway line traverses t ...

catchment in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

.Micropterigidae (Lepidoptera) of the Southwestern Pacific: a revision with the establishment of five new genera from Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand
/ref> The forewing length is 2.7 mm for males. The forewing has strong purplish-bronze reflections. There are two shining white fasciae, the first is a prominent subcostal streak in the middle of the wing, spanning nearly one third of the wing length, it is contiguous with the white dorsum of the head above the eyes when at rest and with softly rounded distal end. The second is a strong transverse, slightly sinuous band at mid-length, inclined towards the apex as it approaches the termen and varying in width from almost parallel-sided to hourglass-shaped or even in two discrete parts when the centre portion is missing. There are some indistinct white patches on the apical quarter of the wing, each comprising only a few scales. The fringes are black and white-tipped. The hindwing is dark brownish-black with purple reflections. The fringes are dark brownish-black.

Etymology

The species name is derived from Latin ''fragilis'' (fragile) and refers to the delicate form of this species, which is the smallest species of the genus '' Tasmantrix''.

References

Micropterigidae Moths described in 2010 {{Micropterigidae-stub