Pterophoridae


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".

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 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. 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, an artichoke pest in California, while the geranium plume moth and the snapdragon plume moth can cause damage to the ornamental plants garden geranium and common snapdragon, respectively. Other plume moths have been used as biological control agents against invasive plant species - Lantanophaga pusillidactyla against West Indian lantana, Oidaematophorus beneficus against mistflower, Hellinsia balanotes against groundsel bush, and Wheeleria spilodactylus against horehound.

Evolution

A fossil species from the extant genus Merrifieldia is known from the Oligocene of France.

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.
The family is divided into the following subfamilies, tribes and genera, some species are also listed:


Subfamily Agdistinae
Subfamily Ochyroticinae
Subfamily Deuterocopinae Gielis, 1993
Subfamily Pterophorinae Zeller, 1841