Brenthia monolychna

Brenthia monolychna is a species of moth of the family Choreutidae. It is found in Costa Rica.

Brenthia monolychna
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Choreutidae
Genus:	Brenthia
Species:	B. monolychna
Binomial name
Brenthia monolychna Meyrick, 1915

Adults mimic jumping spiders, one of their predators. In a recently conducted experiment, Brenthia hexaselena and Brenthia monolychna had higher survival rates than other similarly sized moths in the presence of jumping spiders and jumping spiders responded to Brenthia with territorial displays, indicating that the species were sometimes mistaken for jumping spiders, and not recognized as prey.[1]

The larvae feed mostly on the underside of leaves, occasionally on the upper sides, skeletonizing the leaf superficially. They are pale green. When disturbed, larvae move rapidly through an escape hole they made in the leaf. Cocoons are usually spun on the underside of the leaf.[2]

References

1. Predator Mimicry: Metalmark Moths Mimic Their Jumping Spider Predators
2. "choreutidae.lifedesks". Archived from the original on 2012-08-12. Retrieved 2012-10-19.