''Urodeta quadrifida'' 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 Elachistidae. It is found in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, where it has been recorded from the Tswaing Crater Reserve in

Gauteng Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only ...

. 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 about 6.8 mm. The forewings are mottled with greyish white scales basally and scales ranging from pale brown to blackish brown distally. The hindwings are brownish grey. Adults have been recorded on wing in February.

Etymology

The species name refers to the four spinose spots in female genitalia and is derived from Latin ''quadrifida'' (meaning four-divided, split into four)., 2012: A review of the taxonomic history and biodiversity of the genus ''Urodeta'' (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae: Elachistinae), with description of new species. ''Zootaxa'' 3488: 41-62. Full article

References

Elachistidae Moths described in 2012 Moths of Africa {{Elachistidae-stub