Chionodes

Adult male. Small moth, forewing length 5.4 mm. Head: front and vertex with broadly spatulate, erect, cream-white scales; palpi upturned, basal segment scales appressed, mid-segment half length of palpi, slightly shaggy with spatulate scales, apical segment one-third length of palpi, divergent apically, scales appressed, cream-white; antenna each segment basally ringed with semi-erect cream-white scales. Thorax: dorsal and ventral surfaces with appressed, cream-white scales. Forewing creamy white, no discernible markings, apex rounded and produced. Hindwing mirror-like reflective-white with concolorous long fringe, apex slightly produced; underside white, male with patch of pale yellow sex scales arising from wing base and extending along inner margin. Male genitalia: uncus broad, spoon-shaped, setose laterally; gnathos base sclerotized, lobed laterally, lobes extending one-third length of tegumen, each lobe with posteriorly directed finger-like projection enclosing a diamond-shaped lateral process; valvae asymmetrical, unequal in length and dissimilarly shaped; vinculum 0.8× length of tegumen, abruptly narrowed anteriorly, distal two-thirds trough-shaped; phallus with caecum approximately 5× length of distal part.

Literature