Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Gelechiidae
- Genus: Thiotricha Meyrick, 1885
- Species: Thiotricha galactaea (Meyrick, 1908)
Authority
The species was first described by the lepidopterist Edward Meyrick in 1908.
Distribution
Thiotricha galactaea has been recorded from Sri Lanka. Occurrence elsewhere has not been documented in major entomological databases.
Morphology
The original description notes a small moth with a wingspan of approximately 10 mm. The forewings are primarily white, bearing scattered dark fuscous (gray‑black) scales and a distinct blackish costal spot near the basal third of the wing. The hindwings are described as pale grey. Detailed morphological characters such as genitalia structure follow the typical pattern for the genus Thiotricha and are used for definitive identification.
Habitat and Ecology
Specific ecological information for T. galactaea is lacking. Generally, members of the genus Thiotricha are micro‑moths whose larvae feed on various plant tissues, often mining leaves or feeding on detritus, but the host plants for this species have not been recorded.
References
- Meyrick, E. (1908). “Descriptions of Indian Micro‑Lepidoptera.” Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 18: 849.
- Savela, Markku. “Thiotricha.” Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Accessed 2026. https://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gelechioidea/gelechiidae/thiotricha/
Note
While taxonomic and distributional data for Thiotricha galactaea are documented, many aspects of its biology, including larval host plants, life cycle, and broader geographic range, remain insufficiently known.
