Chionodes psiloptera is a moth in the family Gelechiidae first described by William Barnes and August Busck in 1920.[1] It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Quebec to British Columbia and then to Alaska, eastern Washington, Montana and New York.[2][3]

Chionodes psiloptera
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Gelechiidae
Genus: Chionodes
Species:
C. psiloptera
Binomial name
Chionodes psiloptera
(Barnes & Busck, 1920)
Synonyms
  • Gelechia psiloptera Barnes & Busck, 1920
  • Gelechia abradescens Braun, 1921

The wingspan is 16–17 mm. The forewings are shiny blackish brown, nearly black with black tipped, closely applied scales with light yellow bases. There is a small indistinct and diffused yellowish costal spot at the apical third, and an inconspicuous purplish-black spot at the end of the cell, another on the middle of the cell and a third below this latter on the fold. The hindwings are dark fuscous.[4]

The larvae feed on Poa pratensis.

References edit

  1. ^ Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "Chionodes psiloptera​". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  2. ^ Savela, Markku. "Chionodes psiloptera (Barnes & Busck, 1920)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  3. ^ "421031.00 – 2111 – Chionodes psiloptera – (Barnes & Busck, 1920)". North American Moth Photographers Group. Mississippi State University. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  4. ^ Contributions to the Natural History of the Lepidoptera of North America 4 (3): 230  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.