Pterophoridae

Pterophoridae
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. 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 (Platyptilia carduidactyla), an artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) pest in California, while the geranium plume moth (Platyptilia pica) 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), and Wheeleria spilodactylus against horehound (Marrubium vulgare).
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.
The family is divided into the following subfamilies, tribes and genera, 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 aarviki
Platyptilia calodactyla
Platyptilia carduidactyla – artichoke plume moth
Platyptilia celidotus
Platyptilia eberti
Platyptilia falcatalis
Platyptilia gonodactyla
Platyptilia nemoralis
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 Marasmarchini
Genus Arcoptilia
Genus Exelastis
Genus Fuscoptilia
Genus Marasmarcha
Genus Parafuscoptilia
Tribe Oxyptilini
Genus Apoxyptilus Alipanah et al., 2010
Genus Buckleria Tutt, 1905
Buckleria vanderwolfi
Genus Capperia
Genus Crombrugghia
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
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
References
(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
(1980): Geranium Plume Moth Quarantine. PDF fulltext
(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
(1984): Mate-locating and courtship behaviors of the artichoke plume moth, Platyptilia carduidactyla (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae) (Environmental Entomology 13.2 1984: 399–408). https://academic.oup.com/ee/article-abstract/13/2/399/2393151]
External links
British Insects: the Families of Lepidoptera
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
Moth families