Cosmosoma myrodora

Plate 7.1. Natural history of Utetheisa omatrix (left panel). Adult male (top) larva feeding on seedpod of Crotalaria mucronata (middle) adult male courting a female (bottom). The yellow genitalic coremata are partially inflated and thrust toward the female. Natural history of Cosmosoma myrodora (right panel). Adult male resting on leaf of the larval host plant Mikania scandens (top) larva (middle) male courting female (bottom). The flocculent has been released and forms a cloud around the pair. 

The function of adult PA feeding in arctiids is most clearly illustrated by a member of the Euchromini, the scarlet-bodied wasp moth Cosmosoma myrodora. 

Boada, R. (1997). Courtship and Defense of the Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth Cosmosoma myrodora Dyar (Lepidoptera Arctiidae) with Notes on Related Euchromiines. M.Sc. Thesis. Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem. 

Figure 12.6 Cosmosoma myrodora (male) in ventral view. The flap that covers the abdominal pouches is the area between the white markings at base of abdomen in figure on the left. On the right the filaments within the pouches are being teased out with forceps.

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