Xyloryctidae
Xyloryctidae is a family of moths contained within the superfamily Gelechioidea described by Edward Meyrick in 1890. Most genera are found in the Indo-Australian region. While many of these moths are tiny, some members of the family grow to a wingspan of up to 66 mm, making them giants among the micromoths.
The first recorded instance of a common name for these moths comes from Swainson's On the History and Natural Arrangement of Insects, 1840, where members of the genus Cryptophasa are described as hermit moths. This is an allusion to the caterpillar's habit of living alone in a purely residential burrow in a tree branch, to which it drags leaves at night, attaching them with silk to the entrance to the burrow and consuming the leaves as they dry out.
The name 'timber moths' was coined by the Queensland naturalist Rowland Illidge in 1892, later published in 1895, and serves to distinguish these moths from other wood-boring Australian moths such as ghost moths and giant wood moths, which feed on sap or wood. It refers to the fact that the larvae of most members of this family are arboreal, whether they burrow into branches, bore into flower heads, tunnel under bark, or feed on lichens. Moths of the genus Maroga are pests of wattles and have crossed over from their wild host plant to become serious pests of cultivated stone fruit trees, particularly cherries.
Formerly, Xyloryctidae were placed in the Oecophoridae as the subfamily Xyloryctinae. Recent research suggests the Xyloryctidae are an independent family, sharing common ancestry with the Oecophoridae, but not descended from them.
Taxonomy and systematics
The family includes the following genera:Acompsogma Meyrick, 1938Amorbaea Meyrick, 1908Anachastis Meyrick, 1911Anoditica Meyrick, 1938Anoecea Diakonoff, 1951Antisclerota Meyrick, 1938Araeostoma Turner, 1917Arignota Turner, 1898Arsirrhyncha Meyrick, 1938Athrypsiastis Meyrick, 1910Bassarodes Meyrick, 1910Bathydoxa Turner, 1935Bida Walker, 1864Boydia Newman, 1856Brachybelistis Turner, 1902Caenorycta Meyrick, 1922Callicopris Meyrick, 1938Capnolocha Meyrick, 1925Catanomistis Meyrick, 1933Catoryctis Meyrick, 1890Chalarotona Meyrick, 1890Chereuta Meyrick, 1906Chironeura Diakonoff, 1954Cilicitis Meyrick, 1938Cladophantis Meyrick, 1918Clepsigenes Meyrick, 1930Clerarcha Meyrick, 1890Comocritis Meyrick, 1894Compsotorna Meyrick, 1890Copidoris Meyrick, 1907Crypsicharis Meyrick, 1890Cryptophasa Lewin, 1805Cyanocrates Meyrick, 1925Cyphoryctis Meyrick, 1934Donacostola Meyrick, 1931Echiomima Meyrick, 1915Epichostis Meyrick, 1906Epidiopteryx Rebel in Rebel & Zerny, 1916Eporycta Meyrick, 1908Eschatura Meyrick, 1897Eumenodora Meyrick, 1906Eupetochira Meyrick, 1917Exacristis Meyrick, 1921Exoditis Meyrick, 1933Gemorodes Meyrick, 1925Ghuryx Viette, 1956Glycynympha Meyrick, 1925Gomphoscopa Lower, 1901Gonioma Turner, 1898Hermogenes Zeller, 1867Heterochyta Meyrick, 1906Hierodoris Meyrick, 1912Hylypnes Turner, 1897Hyperoptica Meyrick in Caradja & Meyrick, 1934Idiomictis Meyrick, 1935Illidgea Turner, 1898Iulactis Meyrick, 1918Leistarcha Meyrick, 1883Leptobelistis Turner, 1902Lichenaula Meyrick, 1890Linoclostis Meyrick, 1908Liparistis Meyrick, 1915Lophobela Turner, 1917Malacognostis Meyrick, 1926Maroga Walker, 1864Metantithyra Viette, 1957Metathrinca Meyrick, 1908Microphidias Meyrick, 1937Mnarolitia Viette, 1954Mystacernis Meyrick, 1915Neospastis Meyrick, 1917Niphorycta Meyrick, 1938Opisina Walker, 1864Pansepta Meyrick, 1915Pantelamprus Christoph, 1882Paraclada Meyrick, 1911Paralecta Turner, 1898Perixestis Meyrick, 1917Philarista Meyrick, 1917Phracyps Viette, 1952Phthonerodes Meyrick, 1890Pilostibes Meyrick, 1890Plectophila Meyrick, 1890Potniarcha Meyrick, 1917Prothamnodes Meyrick, 1923Psarolitia Viette, 1956Pseudoprocometis Viette, 1952Sphalerostola Meyrick, 1927Stachyneura Diakonoff, 1948Symphorostola Meyrick, 1927Synchalara Meyrick, 1917Telecrates Meyrick, 1890Thymiatris Meyrick, 1907Thysiarcha Meyrick, 1925Thyrocopa Meyrick, 1883Trypherantis Meyrick, 1907Tymbophora Meyrick, 1890Uzucha Walker, 1864Xerocrates Meyrick, 1917Xylodryadella T. B. Fletcher, 1940Xylomimetes Turner, 1916Xylorycta Meyrick, 1890Zaphanaula Meyrick, 1920Zauclophora Turner, 1900