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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Cosmopterigidae 59a0357 – 1474   Cosmopterix attenuatella (Walker, 1864)

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Larva and Host Plants: Host familiy: Cyperaceae Fabaceae.  Host genera: Cyperus Lespedeza Scirpus.  Notes: leaf miner (Koster 2010a); does not list Lespedeza (Koster 2010a).  (Shropshire & Douglas 2025) Description/ Field Marks: See Koster (2010) Genitalia: See Koster (2010) Similar Species: Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: attenuatella (Walker, 1864) (Gelechia) - MONA 1983: 1474 antichorda (Meyrick, 1909) (Cosmopteryx) antillia (Forbes, 1931) (Cosmopteryx) apiculata (Meyrick, 1922) (Cosmopteryx) flavofasciata (Wollaston, 1879) (Cosmopteryx) lespedezae of authors; (not Walsingham, 1882) (Cosmopteryx) misid. melanarches Meyrick, 1929 (Cosmopterix) mimetis (Meyrick, 1897) (Cosmopteryx) superba of authors; (not Gozmány, 1960) (Cosmopteryx) misappl. venifica (Meyrick, 1915) (Cosmopteryx)

References (Caution: DNA barcoding at BOLD provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced.)

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Identifications often erroneous; DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; many specimens not sequenced. Hodges, R. W., 1978. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 6.1, p. 26; pl. 2.25-26. order or free PDF 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(10): 251-575. (abstract and PDF) Shropshire, K.J. & D.W. Tallamy, 2025. Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. ZooKeys, 1261: 101-113; Suppl. 1. (PDF or read online) Species Page at BugGuide.Net Species Page at iNaturalist

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