Pterophoridae

Moth family containing the plume moths

Pterophoridae

Temporal range: Chattian–Present

PreꞒ

Emmelina monodactyla
(Pterophorinae: Pterophorini)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Arthropoda
Class:  | Insecta
Order:  | Lepidoptera
Superfamily:  | Pterophoroidea
Family:  | Pterophoridae
Zeller, 1841
Type species
Pterophorus pentadactyla

Linnaeus, 1758

Subfamilies

* Agdistinae
* Deuterocopinae
* Ochyroticinae
* Pterophorinae

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".

## Contents

* 1 Description and ecology
* 2 Evolution
* 3 Taxonomy
* 4 Footnotes
* 5 References
* 6 External links

## Description and ecology[edit]

Pupa of Platyptilia tetradactyla (Pterophorinae: Platyptiliini)

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 West Indian lantana (Lantana camara), Oidaematophorus beneficus against mistflower (Ageratina riparia), Hellinsia balanotes against groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia),[2] and Wheeleria spilodactylus against horehound (Marrubium vulgare).[3]

## Evolution[edit]

A fossil species from the extant genus Merrifieldia is known from the Oligocene of France.[4][5]

## Taxonomy[edit]

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.

The family is divided into the following subfamilies, tribes and genera,[6] some species are also listed:
Subfamily Agdistinae

* Genus Agdistis Hübner, 1825
* Agdistis bouyeri
* Agdistis linnaei

Subfamily Ochyroticinae

* Genus Ochyrotica
* Ochyrotica bjoernstadti

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
* Amblyptilia acanthadactyla
* Genus Anstenoptilia
* Genus Asiaephorus
* Genus Bigotilia
* Genus Bipunctiphorus
* Genus Buszkoiana
* Genus Cnaemidophorus Wallengren, 1862
* Cnaemidophorus rhododactyla
* Genus Crocydoscelus
* Genus Fletcherella
* Genus Gillmeria Tutt, 1905
* Gillmeria ochrodactyla
* Genus Inferuncus
* Genus Koremaguia
* Genus Lantanophaga Zimmermann, 1958
* Lantanophaga pusillidactyla
* 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)

* Platyptilia aarviki
* Platyptilia carduidactyla - artichoke plume moth
* Platyptilia celidotus
* Platyptilia eberti
* Platyptilia falcatalis
* Platyptilia gonodactyla
* Platyptilia nussi
* Genus Platyptiliodes
* Genus Postplatyptilia
* Genus Quadriptilia
* Genus Sinpunctiptilia
* Sinpunctiptilia emissalis
* Genus Sochchora
* Genus Sphenarches
* Genus Stenoptilia Hübner, 1825
* Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla
* Stenoptilia kiitulo
* Stenoptilia pterodactyla
* Stenoptilia zophodactylus
* Genus Stenoptilodes Zimmermann, 1958
* Stenoptilodes antirrhina - snapdragon plume moth
* Genus Stockophorus
* Genus Uroloba
* Genus Vietteilus
* Genus Xyroptila Tribe Exelastini
* Genus Arcoptilia
* Genus Exelastis
* Exelastis caroli
* Genus Fuscoptilia
* Genus Marasmarcha
* Genus Parafuscoptilia
* Tribe Oxyptilini
* Genus Apoxyptilus Alipanah et al., 2010
* Genus Buckleria Tutt, 1905
* Buckleria vanderwolfi
* Genus Capperia
* Genus Crombrugghia

Stenodacma wahlbergi (Pterophorinae: Oxyptilini)

* Genus Dejongia
* Genus Eucapperia
* Eucapperia continentalis
* Genus Geina
* Genus Intercapperia
* Genus Megalorhipida Amsel, 1935
* Megalorrhipida leucodactyla
* Genus Oxyptilus
* Genus Paracapperia
* Genus Prichotilus Rose and Pooni, 2003
* Genus Procapperia
* Genus Pseudoxyptilus Alipanah et al., 2010
* Genus Stangeia Tutt, 1905
* Stangeia xerodes

Stangeia xerodes
(Pterophorinae: Oxyptilini)

* Genus Stenodacma
* Genus Tomotilus
* Genus Trichoptilus
* Tribe Oidaematophorini
* Genus Adaina
* Genus Crassuncus
* Genus Emmelina Tutt, 1905
* Emmelina monodactyla
* Genus Gypsochares
* Genus Hellinsia Tutt, 1905
* Hellinsia balanotes
* Hellinsia emmelinoida
* Genus Helpaphorus
* Genus Karachia
* Genus Oidaematophorus Wallengren, 1862
* Oidaematophorus beneficus
* Genus Picardia
* Genus Pselnophorus Wallengren, 1881
* Pselnophorus meruensis
* Genus Puerphorus
* Genus Setosipennula
* Tribe Pterophorini
* Genus Calyciphora
* Genus Cosmoclostis
* Cosmoclostis aglaodesma
* Cosmoclostis hemiadelpha
* Cosmoclostis pesseuta
* Genus Diacrotricha
* Genus Imbophorus
* Imbophorus aptalis
* Imbophorus leucophasmus
* Imbophorus pallidus
* 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
* Wheeleria spilodactylus

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ^ MDA (1980)
2. ^ Palmer, W.A. & Haseler, W.H. (1992)
3. ^ Baker, J. (2002)
4. ^ L. Bigot, A. Nel, and J. Nel. 1986. Description de la première espèce fossile connue de Ptérophore (Lepidoptera Pterophoridae). Alexanor 14:283-288
5. ^ SOHN, JAE-CHEON; LABANDEIRA, CONRAD; DAVIS, DONALD; MITTER, CHARLES (2012-04-30). "An annotated catalog of fossil and subfossil Lepidoptera (Insecta: Holometabola) of the world". Zootaxa. 3286 (1): 1. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3286.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334.
6. ^ Gielis, Cees (2000-05-31). "Division of the Pterophoridae into Tribes (Lepidoptera)" (PDF). Quadrifina. 3: 57–60 - via ZOBODAT.

## References[edit]

* Baker, J. (2002): Factors affecting the establishment of a classical biological control agent, the horehound plume moth (Wheeleria spilodactylus) in South Australia. (A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Applied and Molecular Ecology, Adelaide University, Australia) PDF fulltext
* Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) (1980): Geranium Plume Moth Quarantine. PDF fulltext
* Palmer, W.A & Haseler, W.H. (1992): Foodplant Specificity and Biology of Oidaematophorus balanotes (Pterophoridae): A North American Moth Introduced into Australia for the Control of Baccharis halimifolia (Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 46(3), 1992: 195-202). PDF fulltext[permanent dead link]

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pterophoridae.

* British Insects: the Families of Lepidoptera Archived 2020-02-14 at the Wayback Machine
* http://www.plumemoth.com/ D.L. Matthews, PhD. Florida Museum
* The Plume Moths of Australia
* A slow-motion video of a flying plume moth, taken by three fast cameras https://www.beatus-lab.org/fun-stuff

* v
* t
* e

Extant Lepidoptera families

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Arthropoda
* Class: Insecta
* Subclass: Pterygota
* Infraclass: Neoptera
* Superorder: Endopterygota

Suborder Zeugloptera

| Micropterigoidea|

Micropterigidae (mandibulate archaic moths)

|

Suborder Aglossata

| Agathiphagoidea|

Agathiphagidae (kauri moths)

|

Suborder Heterobathmiina

| Heterobathmioidea|

Heterobathmiidae

|

Suborder Glossata

| Dacnonypha|

| Eriocranioidea|

* Eriocraniidae

|

Acanthoctesia|

| Acanthopteroctetoidea|

* Acanthopteroctetidae (archaic sun moths)

|

Lophocoronina|

| Lophocoronoidea|

Lophocoronidae

|

Neopseustina|

| Neopseustoidea|

* Aenigmatineidae
* Neopseustidae (archaic bell moths)

|

Exoporia|

| Hepialoidea|

* Anomosetidae
* Hepialidae (swift moths, ghost moths)
* Neotheoridae (Amazonian primitive ghost moths)
* Palaeosetidae (miniature ghost moths)
* Prototheoridae (African primitive ghost moths)

|

Mnesarchaeoidea|

* Mnesarchaeidae (New Zealand primitive moths)

| M

| Adeloidea|

Adelidae (fairy longhorn moths)
Cecidosidae
Heliozelidae
Incurvariidae
Prodoxidae (yucca moths)

|

Andesianoidea|

* Andesianidae (Andean endemic moths)

Nepticuloidea|

Nepticulidae (pigmy, or midget moths)
Opostegidae (white eyecap moths)

Palaephatoidea|

Palaephatidae (Gondwanaland moths)

Tischerioidea|

Tischeriidae (trumpet leaf miner moths)

| Simaethistoidea|

Simaethistidae

|

Tineoidea|

Acrolophidae (burrowing webworm moths)
Arrhenophanidae
Eriocottidae (Old World spiny-winged moths)
Lypusidae
Psychidae (bagworm moths)
Tineidae (fungus moths)

Gracillarioidea|

Bucculatricidae (ribbed cocoon makers)
Douglasiidae (Douglas moths)
Gracillariidae
Roeslerstammiidae

Yponomeutoidea|

Acrolepiidae (false diamondback moths)
Bedelliidae
Glyphipterigidae (sedge moths)
Heliodinidae
Lyonetiidae
Plutellidae
Yponomeutidae (ermine moths)
Ypsolophidae

Gelechioidea|

Autostichidae
Batrachedridae
Blastobasidae
Coleophoridae (case-bearers, case moths)
Cosmopterigidae (cosmet moths)
Elachistidae (grass-miner moths)
Gelechiidae (twirler moths)
Lecithoceridae (long-horned moths)
Metachandidae
Momphidae (mompha moths)
Oecophoridae (concealer moths)
Pterolonchidae
Scythrididae (flower moths)
Xyloryctidae (timber moths)

Galacticoidea|

Galacticidae

Zygaenoidea|

Heterogynidae
Zygaenidae (burnet, forester, or smoky moths)
Himantopteridae
Lacturidae
Somabrachyidae
Megalopygidae (flannel moths)
Aididae
Anomoeotidae
Cyclotornidae
Epipyropidae (planthopper parasite moths)
Dalceridae (slug caterpillars)
Limacodidae (slug, or cup moths)

Cossoidea|

Cossidae (carpenter millers, or goat moths)
Dudgeoneidae (dudgeon carpenter moths)

Sesioidea|

Brachodidae (little bear moths)
Castniidae (castniid moths: giant butterfly-moths, sun moths)
Sesiidae (clearwing moths)

Choreutoidea|

Choreutidae (metalmark moths)

Tortricoidea|

Tortricidae (tortrix moths)

Urodoidea|

Urodidae (false burnet moths)

Schreckensteinioidea|

Schreckensteiniidae (bristle-legged moths)

Epermenioidea|

Epermeniidae (fringe-tufted moths)

Alucitoidea|

Alucitidae (many-plumed moths)
Tineodidae (false plume moths)

Pterophoroidea|

Pterophoridae (plume moths)

Whalleyanoidea|

Whalleyanidae

Immoidea|

Immidae

Copromorphoidea|

Copromorphidae (tropical fruitworm moths)
Carposinidae (fruitworm moths)

Thyridoidea|

Thyrididae (picture-winged leaf moths)

Calliduloidea|

Callidulidae (Old World butterfly-moths)

Papilionoidea
(butterflies)|

Papilionidae (swallowtail butterflies)
Hedylidae (American moth-butterflies)
Hesperiidae (skippers)
Pieridae (whites, yellows, orangetips, sulphurs)
Riodinidae (metalmarks)
Lycaenidae (gossamer-winged butterflies: blues, coppers and relatives)
Nymphalidae (brush-footed, or four-footed butterflies)

Hyblaeoidea|

Hyblaeidae (teak moths)

Pyraloidea|

Pyralidae (snout moths)
Crambidae (grass moth)

Mimallonoidea|

Mimallonidae (sack bearer moths)

Lasiocampoidea|

Lasiocampidae (eggars, snout moths, or lappet moths)

Bombycoidea|

Anthelidae (Australian lappet moth)
Apatelodidae (American silkworm moths)
Bombycidae (silk moths)
Brahmaeidae (Brahmin moths)
Carthaeidae (Dryandra moth)
Endromidae (Kentish glory and relatives)
Eupterotidae
Phiditiidae
Saturniidae (saturniids)
Sphingidae (hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms)

Noctuoidea|

Erebidae (underwing, tiger, tussock, litter, snout, owlet moths)
Euteliidae
Noctuidae (daggers, sallows, owlet moths, quakers, cutworms, darts)
Nolidae (tuft moths)
Notodontidae (prominents, kittens)
Oenosandridae

Drepanoidea|

Drepanidae (hook-tips)
Cimeliidae (gold moths)
Doidae

Geometroidea|

Sematuridae
Pseudobistonidae
Epicopeiidae (oriental swallowtail moths)
Uraniidae
Geometridae (geometer moths)

Superfamily unassigned|

Millieriidae

Note: division Monotrysia is not a clade.

* Taxonomy of the Lepidoptera
* Lists by region

Taxon identifiers|

* Wikidata: Q906219
* Wikispecies: Pterophoridae
* AFD: Pterophoridae
* BAMONA: Pterophoridae
* BioLib: 17303
* BOLD: 637
* BugGuide: 4561
* CoL: 8TLBR
* EoL: 892
* EPPO: 1PTERF
* Fauna Europaea: 5345
* Fauna Europaea (new): 9a535f3b-22df-43d1-af11-3b52b2db0079
* Fossilworks: 233687
* GBIF: 8863
* iNaturalist: 47404
* IRMNG: 101087
* ITIS: 117852
* NBN: NBNSYS0000160840
* NCBI: 186111
* NZOR: 72b3d4ef-0cc4-44f8-b686-fc2bed14511b
* PPE: pterophoridae
* WoRMS: 989097

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