Trosia nigropunctigera

Trosia nigropunctigera, commonly known as the rosy ermine moth, is a lepidopteran in the family Megalopygidae native to the Neotropics. These moths have a wingspan of 45-60mm, and are distributed across Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador and Peru.^[1] The species was first described by David Stephen Fletcher in 1982.^[2]

Trosia nigropunctigera
Mount Totumas cloud forest, Panama
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Megalopygidae
Genus:	Trosia
Species:	T. nigropunctigera
Binomial name
Trosia nigropunctigera D. S. Fletcher, 1982

Description

The thorax of Trosia nigropunctigera is densely clad with short hairs and is white or straw-coloured with six distinct red spots. The forewings are white or pale straw colour with a single row of black spots running across parallel with the rear margin. The head, abdomen, legs, and forewings are red.^[3]

Distribution and habitat

Trosia nigropunctigera is native to the rainforests and cloudforests of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador and Peru. It is found at altitudes of between about 400 and 1,200 m (1,300 and 3,900 ft).^[3]