The Pterophoridae or plume moths are a family of Lepidoptera with unusually modified wings, giving them the shape of a narrow winged airplane. 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".
| Pterophoridae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
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| Pterophorus pentadactyla | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Pterophoroidea |
| Family: | Pterophoridae Zeller, 1841 |
| Type species | |
| Pterophorus pentadactyla | |
| Subfamilies | |
| |
| Diversity | |
| >90 genera >1,000 species | |
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. This unorthodox structure does not prevent flight.[1] 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)[2] 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 West Indian lantana (Lantana camara), Oidaematophorus beneficus against mistflower (Ageratina riparia), Hellinsia balanotes against groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia),[3] and Wheeleria spilodactylus against horehound (Marrubium vulgare).[4]
Evolution
A fossil species from the extant genus Merrifieldia is known from the Oligocene of France.[5][6]
Taxonomy
The small group of moths in the genus Agdistopis has often been treated as a subfamily Macropiratinae within the Pterophoridae, but recent research indicates that this group should be considered a separate family. Around 1580 accepted species are currently accepted for the Pterophoridae.[7]
The family is divided into the following subfamilies, tribes and genera,[8] some species are also listed:
Subfamily Agdistinae
- Genus Agdistis Hübner, 1825
Subfamily Ochyroticinae
Subfamily Deuterocopinae Gielis, 1993
- Genus Deuterocopus
- Genus Heptaloba
- Genus Hexadactilia
- Genus Leptodeuterocopus
Subfamily Pterophorinae Zeller, 1841
- Tribe Tetraschalini
- Genus Tetraschalis
- Genus Titanoptilus
- Genus Walsinghamiella
- Tribe Platyptiliini
- Genus Amblyptilia Hübner, 1825
- Genus Anstenoptilia
- Genus Asiaephorus
- Genus Bigotilia
- Genus Bipunctiphorus
- Genus Buszkoiana
- Genus Cnaemidophorus Wallengren, 1862
- Genus Crocydoscelus
- Genus Fletcherella
- Genus Gillmeria Tutt, 1905
- Genus Inferuncus
- Genus Koremaguia
- Genus Lantanophaga Zimmermann, 1958
- Genus Leesi
- Genus Lioptilodes
- Genus Melanoptilia
- Genus Michaelophorus
- Genus Nippoptilia
- Genus Paraamblyptilia
- Genus Paraplatyptilia
- Genus Platyptilia Hübner, 1825
Platyptilia celidotus
(Pterophorinae: Platyptiliini)
Platyptilia falcatalis
(Pterophorinae: Platyptiliini) - Genus Platyptiliodes
- Genus Postplatyptilia
- Genus Quadriptilia
- Genus Sinpunctiptilia
- Genus Sochchora
- Genus Sphenarches
- Genus Stenoptilia Hübner, 1825
- Genus Stenoptilodes Zimmermann, 1958
- Stenoptilodes antirrhina – snapdragon plume moth
- Genus Stockophorus
- Genus Uroloba
- Genus Vietteilus
- Genus Xyroptila
- Tribe Marasmarchini
- Genus Arcoptilia
- Genus Exelastis
- Genus Fuscoptilia
- Genus Marasmarcha
- Genus Parafuscoptilia
- Tribe Oxyptilini
- Genus Apoxyptilus Alipanah et al., 2010
- Genus Buckleria Tutt, 1905
- Genus Capperia
- Genus Crombrugghia
Stenodacma wahlbergi (Pterophorinae: Oxyptilini) - Genus Dejongia
- Genus Eucapperia
- Genus Geina
- Genus Intercapperia
- Genus Megalorhipida Amsel, 1935
- Genus Oxyptilus
- Genus Paracapperia
- Genus Prichotilus Rose and Pooni, 2003
- Genus Procapperia
- Genus Pseudoxyptilus Alipanah et al., 2010
- Genus Stangeia Tutt, 1905
- Genus Stenodacma
- Genus Tomotilus
- Genus Trichoptilus
- Tribe Oidaematophorini
- Genus Adaina
- Genus Crassuncus
- Genus Emmelina Tutt, 1905
- Genus Gypsochares
- Genus Hellinsia Tutt, 1905
- Genus Helpaphorus
- Genus Karachia
- Genus Oidaematophorus Wallengren, 1862
- Genus Picardia
- Genus Pselnophorus Wallengren, 1881
- Genus Puerphorus
- Genus Setosipennula
- Tribe Pterophorini
- Genus Calyciphora
- Genus Cosmoclostis
- Genus Diacrotricha
- Genus Imbophorus
- Genus Merrifieldia
- Genus Oirata
- Genus Patagonophorus
- Genus Porrittia
- Genus Pterophorus
- Pterophorus pentadactyla – white plume moth
- Genus Septuaginta
- Genus Singularia
- Genus Tabulaephorus
- Genus Wheeleria Tutt, 1905
Footnotes
References
External links
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