Cremastobombycia
Braun, 1908
A of micromoths in the , Lithocolletinae. are primarily associated with Asteraceae plants. The genus was established by Braun in 1908 and includes at least nine described species distributed across the Americas, with recent discoveries extending its range to South high-elevation Andean . Several species have been investigated for of .
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Cremastobombycia: //ˌkrɛ.mə.stoʊ.bɒmˈbɪ.si.ə//
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Distribution
Documented from North America, Central America, and South America. The was historically known from the United States and Mexico; recent descriptions include from northern Chile at approximately 3400 m elevation in arid highland Andean environments.
Ecological Role
on Asteraceae; at least one congeneric (C. lantanella) has been employed as a agent for , suggesting potential utility for other species in weed management programs.
Human Relevance
Investigated for applications against Asteraceae weeds. Cremastobombycia lantanella has been used in programs targeting .
Similar Taxa
- PhyllonorycterAlso in Lithocolletinae with leaf-mining ; Cremastobombycia is distinguished by including tegumen structure in males and signum shape in females
- MacrosaccusCongeneric on Asteraceae; requires examination of male cornutus structure and female signum for definitive separation
More Details
Species diversity
The includes at least nine described : C. ambrosiaeella, C. grindeliella, C. ignota, C. kipepeo, C. lantanella, C. morogorene, C. solidaginis, C. verbesinella, and C. socoromaensis. Two African species (C. kipepeo, C. morogorene) were described in 2012, and C. socoromaensis represents the first South record (2024).
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- Wikipedia
- GBIF taxonomy match
- iNaturalist taxon
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Catalogue of Life
- Systematics and Biology ofCremastobombycia chromolaenae, New Species (Gracillariidae), a Natural Enemy ofChromolaena odorata(L.) King and H. Robinson (Asteraceae)
- Cremastobombyciasocoromaensis sp. nov., the first South American representative of the micromoth genus Cremastobombycia Braun (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae, Lithocolletinae).