| Philonome cuprescens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Tineidae |
| Genus: | Philonome |
| Species: | P. cuprescens |
| Binomial name | |
| Philonome cuprescens Walsingham, 1914 | |
Philonome cuprescens is a species of moth of the family Tineidae. It is found in Mexico (Guerrero).
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.
Tineidae is a family of moths in the order Lepidoptera described by Pierre André Latreille in 1810. Collectively, they are known as fungus moths or tineid moths. The family contains considerably more than 3,000 species in more than 300 genera. Most of the tineid moths are small or medium-sized, with wings held roofwise over the body when at rest. They are particularly common in the Palaearctic, but many occur elsewhere, and some are found very widely as introduced species.
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost 2,000,000 square kilometres (770,000 sq mi), the nation is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent state in the world. With an estimated population of over 120 million people, the country is the tenth most populous state and the most populous Spanish-speaking state in the world, while being the second most populous nation in Latin America after Brazil. Mexico is a federation comprising 31 states and Mexico City, a special federal entity that is also the capital city and its most populous city. Other metropolises in the state include Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Toluca, Tijuana and León.
The length of the forewings is 2.8–3.9 mm. The forewings are brown, intermixed with dark brown scales in the postmedian area. The longitudinal fascia is white, closer to the costa than to the dorsum and accompanied with yellowish brown fascia anteriorly. The costal fascia is yellowish brown, curved to the apex at the middle and accompanied with a narrow, white line along the lower margin in the costal half. The dorsal bar is white, curved in the terminal fourth and accompanied with yellowish brown spreading in the dorsal area, almost connected with the longitudinal fascia. The subapical spot is white, narrow and curved and the apical spot is white and suffused with reddish brown costally. The tornal patch is very small. The hindwings are dark greyish brown. [1]
