Deserticossus arenicola

Deserticossus arenicola is a species of moth of the family Cossidae. It is found in Russia[1] (Dagestan), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, north-western China, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt (Sinai) and Jordan.

Deserticossus arenicola
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Cossidae
Genus:	Deserticossus
Species:	D. arenicola
Binomial name
Deserticossus arenicola (Staudinger, 1879)
Synonyms
Cossus arenicola Staudinger, 1879 Holcocerus arenicola Holcocerus arenicola transcaucasicus Zukowsky, 1936 Holcocerus arenicola albida Seitz, 1912 Holcocerus dilutior Rothschild, 1912

The wingspan is 38–63 mm. The forewings are light ash grey with black markings. The hindwings are uniform grey.[2] Adults have been recorded on wing in May in the Sinai desert and in March in Jordan.

The larvae have been recorded feeding on Tigrovaya balka, Tamarix ramosissima and Tamarix hispida.[3]

Subspecies

• Deserticossus arenicola arenicola (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kirghizia, northern Afghanistan, China)
• Deserticossus arenicola iranica (Austaut, 1897) (Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan)
• Deserticossus arenicola transcaucasicus (Zukowsky, 1936) (Dagestan, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan)

References

1. Fauna Europaea
2. lepiforum.de
3. Cossidae of Israel