Copromorphoidea - Copromorpha fossilis (In. 25766) (after Jarzembowski, 1980)

About the Image:
Top Left image taken by J. Sohn, 2009.
Bottom Left image taken by J. Sohn, 2009.
Right image from Jarzembowski, 1980, page 264.

About the Specimen:
From Jarzembowski, 1980: The single specimen consists of the dorsal impression of a decapitated body and the remains of the right wing pair. Body: posterior end of mesothorax rounded, metascutum distinct. Abdomen completely flattened except for two lateral cavities in the basal segment; seven annuli are discernible and the remains of the apical scale cover. the abdomen is comparatively large even allowing for compression and, together with the pointed posterior, suggests that the holotype is a female. Forewing: anterior margin rounded basally, straightening distad of the termination of Sc and curving strongly past R4. Sc terminating near the mid-length of the wing; R1 originating at 0.25 and terminating at 0.65 of the forewing length (from base); R3 and R4 terminating at 0.85 and 0.94 of the same length. Base of r2 well separated from that of R1. CuA, 1A and 2A represented by short basal portions close to the CuP fold; anal veins well separated from the margin. Hindwing: apex rounded with an angle of 85 degrees. Anterior margin straight, outer margin curving gently towards base away from the apex. Sc+r1 elongate continuing apically well beyond the end of the discal cell. Rs directed towards apex. Bases of M1-M3 linked by oblique crossveins. M2 equidistant between M1 and M3, M1 continuing as a distinct fold in the discal cell. Base of M3 touching CuA1 at 0.4 of its length from the separation of CuA2(Jarzembowski, 1980, pg. 270).

Additional Remarks:
From Jarzembowski, 1980: The wing form and venation come closest to that of extant moths of the family Copromorphidae and the type genus itself (Fig. 51). The genitalia of Copromorphids show affinites with those of the Gelechioidea and the venation of the fossil shows some resemblance to the Oecophoridae. Although the bases of R4 and R5 are not preserved, their courses indicate that they do not form a distinct fork as is characteristic of the Oecophoridae. The apical angle is close to 90 degrees, in agreement with the Copromorphidae. The family has a southern distribution, only Aegidomorpha Meyrick entering the Palaearctic in China; Copromorpha occurs in Africa and from India through to Australia. Copromorphid larvae are tunnellers in leaf veins, twigs and fruits.

DIAGNOSIS: A Palaeogene species differing from the living C. gypsota in the smaller size of the wings, the slightly more basad termination of the branches of R in the forewing, and M1 closer to Rs in the hindwing (Jarzembowski, 1980, pg. 270).

Location:
Bembridge Marls, Isle of Wight (southern England), Oligocene, Holo

British Museum (Natural History), R. H. Hooley Collection

CITATION(S):

Jarzembowski, E. A. 1980. Fossil insects from the Bembridge Marls, Palaeogene of the Isle of Wight, southern England. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) 33(4): 237-293, text-fig. 1-77.