Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Cosmopterix Hübner, 1825
The North and South American species were reviewed by Koster (2010).
Explanation of Names
Generic epithet Cosmopterix
is Greek meaning "ornamental wings." (1)
31 species recorded in our area (2)
Helpful features for identifying Cosmopterix include the coloring of the antennal segments, the width and length of the basal lines (the three parallel silver lines on the wings closest to the wing base), whether or not lines are present on the thorax, and location of the silver spots that surround the transverse fascia (the wide orange band). If you include the above features in your photos, you are more likely to get an accurate ID.
Much of North America and the world.
Larvae are leaf miners in grasses, sedges, and other herbaceous plants.
Busck, A. 1906. A review of the American moths of the genus Cosmopteryx
Covell, p. 439, plate 63#8--C. gemiferella (4)
Koster, J. C. 2010. The genera Cosmopterix
Hübner and Pebobs Hodges in the New World with special attention to the Neotropical fauna (Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae). Zoologische Mededelingen 84: 251-575. (PDF
of C. clemensella
(Larry Line, Maryland)
live adult images
of holarctic species C. pulchrimella
, plus description and food plant (Pedro Pires and Mark Lawlor, UK Moths)
of undetermined Cosmopterix
species from Australia, plus description and food plants (Graeme Cocks, U. of Sydney, Australia)
photo of leaf mine
on hops leaf, caused by a European species of Cosmopterix
(British Leafminers, leafmines.co.uk)
- Moth Photographers Group