Tiny Case Moth
S3, Frenulum, from under
Ellura
Tiny Case Moth
S1, Anal appendages
 
                      
Tiny Case Moth (Psychidae sp ES01)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta)
Order: Butterflies & Moths (Lepidoptera)
Family: Case Moth (:Tineoidea Psychidae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Tiny Case Moth (Psychidae sp ES01)
This Photo:     🔍S3, Mouth🔎

Thank you Andy Young for identifying this species for us

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA) and elsewhere
Wingspan ~8mm, body length ~3.5mm.
Clear wings, with some dark scaly hairs. Body has some white scaly hairs as well.
Notice the setae at the front of the hindwing, that goes into a "pocket" on the forewing. When we asked what that was Andy said: "That spur and reticulum arrangement that co-joins the wings is the frenulum. It's quite a handy taxonomic feature: if you look in Moths of Australia, it is often included in character matrix for diagnosing the various Families. "
Andy highlighted these moths to us, which he & Richard Glatz found when surveying moths near Banrock at night sheets last year; using MV light source.
It's undescribed and if studied will probably lead to a new genus to place it in.
They come just after proper dark. Between 6:30pm & 7:00pm.

Copyright © 2021-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 15-Apr-2021
This species is an Australian Native Species, not listed in the SA Murray Mallee Survey of 2010.