Bucculatrix franseriae Braun 1963

Bucculatrix franseriae new species (Figs. 108, 109.)
Face grayish white, tuft composed of intermingled white and gray hairs; eye-caps whitish, minutely speckled with very pale gray, antennal stalk pale gray, with dark gray annulations. Ground color of the fore wings whitish, the scales minutely tipped with very pale gray, the markings formed by scales, some of which are very narrowly black-tipped, others broadly black-tipped; a narrow stripe of indistinctly dark-tipped scales along costa from base diverges from costa at one-third, forming a short oblique streak; just beyond middle of costa, a broader patch of narrowly black-tipped scales narrows abruptly below costa, and curves into the disc almost at tornus, thence curves upward to apex, thus forming a shallow arc along which the scales are conspicuously black-tipped; this arc encloses toward costa a whitish area, marked on costa by a patch of minutely dark gray-tipped scales ; a few black-tipped scales in fold ; on middle of dorsum, a large patch of minutely black-tipped scales, with a few more conspicuously black-tipped scales on its inner edge ; cilia gray, with a line of blacktipped scales through the center. Hind wings and cilia pale grayish white. Legs grayish white, shaded with gray, tarsal segments, except those of the metathoracic legs, dark gray-tipped.
Alar expanse 8 mm.
Male genitalia (fig. 108). Flarpe divided for about half its length, a broad thin concave outer lobe, and a slender strongly sclerotized inner lobe (a development of costa and cucullus), with heavy setae apically; socii, widely diverging arms with strong setae ; anellus broad, strongly sclerotized, with a minute ventral apical process ; aedeagus long, sinuate, curved toward apex, aperture prolonged basad as a narrow slit with a broad overlapping triangular flap at its base ; vinculum prolonged anteriorly into long lateral prongs. Scale sac very large, scales club-shaped.
Female genitalia (fig. 109). Ovipositor lobes with two kinds of setae, short minute setae posteriorly, longer and more scattered setae anteriorly ; segment 8 highly specialized, its lateral margins produced as elongate wings finely reticulate posteriorly, each bearing near its anterior end, a cluster of specialized scales ; anterior margin of segment 8, lateral to ostium, strongly sclerotized and highly specialized (see figure); the strongly sclerotized posterior section of ductus bursae bending to the right, from the anterior end of this strongly sclerotized section the ductus curves posteriorly, then anteriorly to the bursa copulatrix; signum composed of clusters of closely placed parallel spined ribs, spines slender.
Type. — $, Tempe, Arizona, 13 Feb. '55, reared from Franseria deltoidea Torr., (F. F. Bibby) [U.S.N.M., Type No. 65023].
Allotype. — 9, same data as the type. Genitalia figured from allotype Paratypes. — 2 $ , 1 2 , same data as the type. Male genitalia figured from a paratype [U.S.N.M.].
The recorded food plant is Franseria deltoidea Torr. Cocoon gray, somewhat mottled, with seven or eight fine ridges.
None of the specimens is in perfect condition ; most would be unrecognizable except by genitalia, but the extraordinary genitalia of both sexes warrant the description of the species. The male type is in the best condition, with abdomen and appendages present ; the female allotype is worn ; the paratypes lack one or more wings, head, or abdomen.

Bucculatrix franseriae is a moth in the family Bucculatricidae. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Arizona and California. It was described in 1963 by Annette Frances Braun.

The larvae feed on Ambrosia deltoidea.