About Friseria cockerelli (Busck, 1903)
Friseria cockerelli, commonly known as the mesquite webworm moth, is a moth species belonging to the family Gelechiidae. This species is found in Mexico and the southern United States, where it has been recorded in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, Oklahoma, and Nevada. The wingspan of Friseria cockerelli measures 15 to 16.5 millimeters. Its forewings are light yellowish-brown and marked with dark blackish-brown patterning. There is a large dark brown patch on the dorsal edge of the forewing near the base. The costal base matches the general base color of the wing, while there is an indistinct blackish spot on the costa at the apical third that extends outward as a dark shade across the full width of the wing. Just before this spot sits another smaller, more clearly defined blackish costal spot. Longitudinal dark lines run along the wing veins and through the disc of the forewing; these lines are sharpest and darkest on the apical portion of the wing, and each line ends at the base of the cilia in a deep black spot. These longitudinal streaks are interrupted at the end of the cell by a short, thin, perpendicular deep black streak, which is followed by a short light brown space. The hindwings of the moth are yellowish fuscous. Most adults are active on the wing from April through September. The larvae of this species feed on plants of the Prosopis genus.
