Grass Moths, Crambidae, are
generally small and inconspicuous, particularly when in a resting posture, with
rolled wings on a Grass stem, though they are a variable group and some species
are quite conspicuous. Most well studied members of the group are of economic
importance, generally as pest species (the larvae are stem-borers, mainly of
Grasses), though some species are used as controls of invasive plants, and one
- the Bamboo Borer, Omphisa fuscidentalis,
is used for Human consumption.
In a paper published in the
journal ZooKeys on 22 January 2015, Wei-Chun Li and Dong Liu of the College of
Agronomy at Jiangxi Agricultural University, describe a new species of Grass
Moth from Galongla Mountain in Medog County, Tibet.
The new species is placed in the
genus Metaeuchromius, which is found
across North and East Asia, and given the specific name glacialis, in reference to the glaciers found in the immediate
proximity of the area where it was discovered. The species is described from
five male specimens attracted to a mercury lamp, which was being used to
attract Moths as part of a study into the wildlife of the glacial regions of
Tibet, which is considered to be under threat due to global warming.
Metaeuchromius glacialis,
male in dorsal view. Li & Lui (2015).
The Moths are largely white, with
darker markings on their forewings, thorax and heads. The forewings are 9-10 mm
in length. The male moths were active in late July, and were collected at an
altitude of 3415 m; their natural history is otherwise unknown.
The area where the specimens were collected, at the foot of Galongla
Mountain. Li & Lui (2015).
See also…
Tortrix Moths, Tortricidae, are predominantly small Moths with feathery wings found across much of the globe. They are ubiquitous members of the Insect fauna, but despite this have not been extensively studied...
Stem-mining Moths of the family Nepticulidae are found across the world, but are at their most numerous and diverse in Southern Europe. The larvae feed on...
The Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths) first appear...
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