COSMOPTERIX SP.
Cosmopterix sp.
COSMET MOTHS (Cosmopterigidae)
The Cosmopterix moth has a wingspan of about .5 inch. The forewing is black with a bright orange band (bordered by 2 narrow silvery bands) across the wing about two-thirds distance from the base. Heavy scaling at the end of the wing looks like feathering. The long antennae are black with silver bands.
The frequency of occurrence at Fontenelle Forest is not known. The individual shown here was photographed at the 2014 Bioblitz in early June in Fontenelle Forest. Adults are nocturnal and are attracted to artificial lights.
The larvae are leaf miners in grasses, sedges and other herbaceous plants. Species overwinter in the larval stage in a cocoon in or outside of the mine. Pupation takes place in the spring. There are 30 species in the genus Cosmopterix in North America.
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