Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Autostichidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Taygete | |
Taygete sphecophila is a moth in the Autostichidae family. It was described by Meyrick in 1936. It is found in Trinidad.
The wingspan is about 10 mm. The forewings are grey-whitish with a dark fuscous basal patch, extending on the costa to one-fourth, the edge inwards-oblique from the costa, mixed light brownish towards the base. There is a small elongate dark fuscous spot on the costa about one-third and a dark fuscous postmedian costal blotch, broadest on the costa, rounded beneath and reaching half across the wing, the second discal stigma forming a black dot beneath this. There is some fuscous irroration or suffusion on the apical area, and some irregular dark fuscous pre-marginal or marginal dots around it. The hindwings are slaty-grey.
Larvae were bred from the bottom of the cells of Polistes canadensis. The pupae were enclosed in stout cocoons covered with refuse, accumulated together. The larvae probably feed on the substance of the nest.