Eriocrania breviapex Davis 1978

Eriocrania breviapex

ADULT (Figure 170).—Wing Expanse: , 7.5–9 mm.

Head: Sparsely covered with whitish hairs intermixed with light fuscous. Antennae relatively long, 0.6–0.7 the length of forewing, approximately 35–segmented; scape whitish; flagellum mostly brownish fuscous and irrorated with white above, entirely white beneath. Maxillary palpi light brownish fuscous; apex of terminal segment rather blunt, crowned with a series of about 8 short spines of equal lengths. Base of galeae clothed with whitish scales. Labial palpi whitish, with a few scattered fuscous hairs ventrally.

Thorax: Dorsum mostly light brownish fuscous with a slight bronzy luster; tegulae with a tuft of long white and brownish fuscous hairs equally intermixed. Venter white. Legs typically light brownish fuscous dorsally, white ventrally. Forewings light fuscous with a slight bronze to purplish iridescence, irregularly marked with small pale golden to brassy spots; a distinct and relatively large subtornal spot present, extending halfway across wing to middle of discal cell; fringe uniformly pale brownish fuscous except for whitish suffusion of subtornal spot. Hind wings distinctly paler than forewings, sparsely scaled with long, slender, hairlike brownish-fuscous scales.

Abdomen (Figure 228): Sparsely covered with long grayish brown hairs above, whitish ventrally. Fourth sternite with a pair of moderately large oval fenestrae 0.52–0.54 the length of sternite in greatest diameter. Sternal tubercules present on 5th sternite, papiliform, diameter about 0.23–0.26 the length of sternite. Caudal apex of 8th tergite distinct and deeply divided, branches divergent; caudal apex of 8th sternite likewise distinct and divided approximately 0.5 the distance of tergal cleft.

Female Genitalia (Figures 302–304, 335): Apex of ovipositor relatively broad, abruptly narrowing to a short, acute tip; lateral margins serrulate, usually with 11–12 minute teeth. Bursa copulatrix relatively long, surpassing cephalic ends of posterior apophyses when fully extended by nearly half its length; walls of corpus bursae entirely membranous. Vaginal sclerite darkly sclerotized, broad, greatest width approximately 0.5 its length; cephalic end broad, relatively flat, not extended ventrally; a low, median keel present as shown in Figure 304.

HOLOTYPE.—, Six Mile Creek, Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York, 12 May, 1961, R. W. Hodges, photograph on file USNM, USNM Type 72102; in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

PARATYPES.—UNITED STATES. New York: Tompkins Co: Six Mile Cr, Ithaca: 1, 10 May 1959, R. W. Hodges, genitalia slide USNM 17206, head slide USNM 18208 (USNM); 1, 7 May 1961, R. W. Hodges, genitalia slide USNM 17199 (USNM); 1. 13 May 1961, R. W. Hodges, wing slide USNM 16156, genitalia slide USNM 17499 (USNM). Described from a total of 4 females.

HOST.—Unknown.

FLIGHT PERIOD.—Early to mid-May; univoltine,

DISTRIBUTION (Map 3).—This species is presently known only from the type-locality, which is located in the Cayuga Lake Basin of northwestern New York.

Eriocrania breviapex is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae. It is found in the Cayuga Lake Basin of north-western New York.

The wingspan is 7.5–9 mm. The forewings are light fuscous with a slight bronze to purplish iridescence, irregularly marked with small pale golden to brassy spots. The hindwings are paler than the forewings and sparsely scaled with long, slender, hairlike brownish-fuscous scales. Adults are on wing from early to mid May in one generation per year.