| Anaptilora basiphaea | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Gelechiidae |
| Genus: | Anaptilora |
| Species: | A. basiphaea |
| Binomial name | |
| Anaptilora basiphaea Turner, 1919 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Anaptilora basiphaea is a moth in the family Gelechiidae. It was described by Turner in 1919. [1] It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from Queensland, [2] the Northern Territory and South Australia. [3]
Moths comprise a group of insects related to butterflies, belonging to the order Lepidoptera. Most lepidopterans are moths, and there are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of which have yet to be described. Most species of moth are nocturnal, but there are also crepuscular and diurnal species.
The Gelechiidae are a family of moths commonly referred to as twirler moths or gelechiid moths. They are the namesake family of the huge and little-studied superfamily Gelechioidea, and the family's taxonomy has been subject to considerable dispute. These are generally very small moths with narrow, fringed wings. The larvae of most species feed internally on various parts of their host plants, sometimes causing galls. Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga) is a host plant common to many species of the family, particularly of the genus Chionodes, which as a result is more diverse in North America than usual for Gelechioidea.
Alfred Jefferis Turner was a pediatrician and noted amateur entomologist. He was the son of missionary Frederick Storrs-Turner. He introduced the use of diphtheria antitoxin to Australia in 1895. He was known by the nickname "Gentle Annie".
The wingspan is about 18 mm. The forewings are ochreous-whitish, with a few scattered fuscous scales. The markings are fuscous and with a narrow basal fascia slightly produced on the dorsum. There are discal dots at one-third and two-thirds, with the plical slightly beyond the first discal. There is a terminal series of dots. The hindwings are whitish. [4]
The wingspan of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777-200 has a wingspan of 60.93 metres, and a wandering albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of 3.63 metres, the official record for a living bird. The term wingspan, more technically extent, is also used for other winged animals such as pterosaurs, bats, insects, etc., and other fixed-wing aircraft such as ornithopters. In humans, the term wingspan also refers to the arm span, which is distance between the length from one end of an individual's arms to the other when raised parallel to the ground at shoulder height at a 90º angle. Former professional basketball player Manute Bol stands at 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m) and owns one of the largest wingspans at 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m).
