Diversity
>90 genera
>1,000 species

The Pterophoridae or plume moths are a family of Lepidoptera with unusually modified wings. Though they belong to the Apoditrysia like the larger moths and the butterflies, unlike these they are tiny and were formerly included among the assemblage called "Microlepidoptera".

Description and ecology

The forewings of plume moths usually consist of two curved spars with more or less bedraggled bristles trailing behind. This resembles the closely related Alucitidae (many-plumed moths) at first glance, but the latter have a greater number of symmetrical plumes. The hindwings are similarly constructed, but have three spars. A few genera have normal lepidopteran wings.

The usual resting posture is with the wings extended laterally and narrowly rolled up. Often they resemble a piece of dried grass, and may pass unnoticed by potential predators even when resting in exposed situations in daylight. Some species have larvae which are stem- or root-borers while others are leaf-browsers.

Economically important pterophorids include the Artichoke Plume Moth (Platyptilia carduidactyla), an Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) pest in California, while the Geranium Plume Moth (Platyptilia pica)[1] and the Snapdragon Plume Moth (Stenoptilodes antirrhina) can cause damage to the ornamental plants Garden Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum) and Common Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), respectively. Other plume moths have been used as biological control agents against invasive plant species – Lantanophaga pusillidactyla against the shrub verbena Lantana camara, and Oidaematophorus beneficus against Mistflower (Eupatorium riparium).

Selected taxa

Notable genera and species, listed per subfamily and tribe, are:

Subfamily Agdistinae

• Genus Agdistis Hübner, 1825
  • Agdistis bouyeri
  • Agdistis linnaei

Subfamily Ochyroticinae

• Genus Ochyrotica
  • Ochyrotica bjoernstadti

Subfamily Pterophorinae

• Tribe Exelastini
  • Genus Exelastis
    • Exelastis caroli
• Tribe Oidaematophorini
  • Genus Hellinsia Tutt, 1905
    • Hellinsia balanotes
    • Hellinsia emmelinoida
  • Genus Oidaematophorus Wallengren, 1862
  • Genus Pselnophorus Wallengren, 1881
    • Pselnophorus meruensis
• Tribe Oxyptilini
  • Genus Buckleria Tutt, 1905
    • Buckleria vanderwolfi
  • Genus Eucapperia
    • Eucapperia continentalis
  • Genus Stangeia Tutt, 1905

• Tribe Platyptilini
  • Genus Amblyptilia Hübner, 1825
    • Amblyptilia acanthadactyla
  • Genus Cnaemidophorus Wallengren, 1862
    • Cnaemidophorus rhododactyla
  • Genus Gillmeria Tutt, 1905
    • Gillmeria ochrodactyla
  • Genus Lantanophaga Zimmermann, 1958
  • Genus Platyptilia Hübner, 1825
    

    Platyptilia celidotus
    (Pterophorinae: Platyptilini)
    

    Platyptilia falcatalis
    (Pterophorinae: Platyptilini)
    • Platyptilia aarviki
    • Platyptilia carduidactyla – Artichoke Plume Moth
    • Platyptilia eberti
    • Platyptilia gonodactyla
    • Platyptilia nussi
  • Genus Sinpunctiptilia
    • Sinpunctiptilia emissalis
  • Genus Stenoptilia Hübner, 1825
    • Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla
    • Stenoptilia kiitulo
    • Stenoptilia pterodactyla
    • Stenoptilia zophodactylus
  • Genus Stenoptilodes Zimmermann, 1958
• Tribe Pterophorini
  • Genus Cosmoclostis
    • Cosmoclostis aglaodesma
    • Cosmoclostis hemiadelpha
    • Cosmoclostis pesseuta
  • Genus Imbophorus
    • Imbophorus aptalis
    • Imbophorus leucophasmus
    • Imbophorus pallidus
  • Genus Pterophorus Geoffroy, 1762
    • Pterophorus pentadactyla – White Plume Moth
  • Genus Wheeleria Tutt, 1905
• Incertae sedis
  • Genus Emmelina Tutt, 1905
    • Emmelina monodactyla
  • Genus Megalorrhipida Amsel, 1935 (Oxyptilini? Platyptilini?)
    • Megalorrhipida leucodactyla

Footnotes

References

• Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) (1980): Geranium Plume Moth Quarantine. PDF fulltext

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pterophoridae

• British Insects: the Families of Lepidoptera (englisch)
• http://www.plumemoth.com/

Extant Lepidoptera families by suborder
Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Arthropoda · Class: Insecta · Subclass: Pterygota · Infraclass: Neoptera · Superorder: Endopterygota
Aglossata
Glossata