''Trosia nigropunctigera'', commonly known as the rosy ermine moth, is a

lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

n in the family

Megalopygidae The flannel moths or crinkled flannel moths (scientific name Megalopygidae) are a family of insects. Distribution and habitat There is only one species of Megalopyge in the eastern United States, although there are several throughout the Neotro ...

native to the

Neotropics The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In biogeog ...

. These moths have a wingspan of 45-60mm, and are distributed across Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador and Peru. The species was first described by David Stephen Fletcher in 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.

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 .

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q14508387 Moths described in 1982 Megalopygidae Moths of Central America Moths of South America Lepidoptera of Colombia Lepidoptera of Peru Lepidoptera of Venezuela Lepidoptera of Costa Rica Lepidoptera of Panama Lepidoptera of Guyana Lepidoptera of Ecuador