Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Lecithoceridae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Mnesteria | |
Mnesteria basanistis is a moth in the Lecithoceridae family. It was described by Meyrick in 1908. It is found in Sri Lanka.
The wingspan is 14-17 mm. The forewings are orange, paler towards the costa with dark-metallic-leaden-grey markings and with a narrow basal spot, as well as a streak along the fold from near the base to near the middle. There is a streak in the disc from about one-third to two-thirds, as well as a small dorsal spot before the middle and the apical third of the wing is more or less broadly streaked with leaden-grey between the veins, variable in extent. The hindwings are whitish-ochreous in males, the costa suffused with grey, with a submedian groove and expansible pencil of long whitish-ochreous hairs from the base lying beneath it. The hindwings of the females are grey.