34.009 Cosmopterix pulchrimella (Pellitory Beauty)
ws: 6.5-9mm; Sep; Pellitory-of-the-wall (Parietaria judaica); first recorded in GB 2001; NS-A Hampshire to Scilly
Cosmopterix pulchrimella §3 male
ID: 4 extant species of Cosmopterix have an orange band beyond middle of fw bordered both proximally and distally by pale metallic fasciae.
Both C.pulchrimella and C.scribaiella have a series of 4 linear pale metallic streaks in the basal part of fw; C. zieglerella has an oblique pale metallic bar in this position and C.orichalcea has a more prominent pale metallic blotch. C.scribaiella has an orange streak extending distally from the orange transverse fascia - this streak breaches the distal pale metallic fascia which is effectively divided into coastal and dorsal pale metallic spots. In C.pulchrimella there is no such streak and the distal pale metallic fascia is entire. C.scribaiella has white antennal rings as follows: proximal subapical 3S, separated by brown 2S from distal subapical 2S, apical ~5S. I have not found a description of the antennal pattern of C.pulchrimella, but it appears to be 4 white rings each of 1 or 2S with the interval of brown segments increasing in length distally and the apical ~5S brown (in the above image do not confuse the tarsal rings with the anntennal rings).
Both C.pulchrimella and C.scribaiella have a series of 4 linear pale metallic streaks in the basal part of fw; C. zieglerella has an oblique pale metallic bar in this position and C.orichalcea has a more prominent pale metallic blotch. C.scribaiella has an orange streak extending distally from the orange transverse fascia - this streak breaches the distal pale metallic fascia which is effectively divided into coastal and dorsal pale metallic spots. In C.pulchrimella there is no such streak and the distal pale metallic fascia is entire. C.scribaiella has white antennal rings as follows: proximal subapical 3S, separated by brown 2S from distal subapical 2S, apical ~5S. I have not found a description of the antennal pattern of C.pulchrimella, but it appears to be 4 white rings each of 1 or 2S with the interval of brown segments increasing in length distally and the apical ~5S brown (in the above image do not confuse the tarsal rings with the anntennal rings).
§1 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 26/09/2011; male; fw 4.1mm
§2 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 23/10/2019; male; fw 3.8mm; found by searching the food plant by day
§3 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 14/10/2020; male; fw 3.8mm; found on food plant by day
§4 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 08/10/2021; female; fw 3.4mm; found on food plant by day
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 23/10/2019; male; fw 3.8mm; found by searching the food plant by day
§3 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 14/10/2020; male; fw 3.8mm; found on food plant by day
§4 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 08/10/2021; female; fw 3.4mm; found on food plant by day
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 06/11/2011 (§1) | §2 and leaf-mine added 18/12/2019 | §3 added 29/11/2020 | §4 added 06/01/2022
