: ''Certain members of the unrelated
snout moth
The Pyralidae, commonly called pyralid moths, snout moths or grass moths, are a family (biology), family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian Taxonomic rank, superfamily Pyraloidea. In many (particularly older) classifications, the grass moths (Cramb ...
s (Pyralidae) are also known as "ermine moths."
Spilosoma lubricipeda is an unrelated moth with the common name "white ermine."''
An ermine moth is any
moth
Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...
in the family Yponomeutidae, which has several hundred species, most of them in the tropics. The
larvae
A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect developmental biology, development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typical ...
tend to form communal webs,
and some are minor pests in
agriculture
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
,
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...
, and
horticulture
Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...
. Adult moths are minor
pollinators
A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains.
Insects are the ma ...
.
Taxonomy
The traditional morphology based taxonomy of Kyrki (1990) divided Yponomeutidae into six subfamilies, but this circumscription is not found to be monophyletic in molecular phylogenetic analyses.
van Nieukerken et al (2011) split off
Praydidae
Praydidae is a family of false ermine moths in the superfamily Yponomeutoidea. Though once considered a subfamily (Praydinae), a 2013 molecular analysis elevated it to family rank.
Genera
*'' Atemelia'' Herrich-Schäffer, 1853
*'' Dictyoprays'' ...
,
Attevidae
''Atteva'' is a genus of moths in the monotypic family Attevidae. The group has a pantropical distribution; however, the range of at least one species, ''Atteva aurea'', extends into the temperate zone. No consistent hypotheses regarding the rela ...
and
Argyresthiidae as separate families, and Sohn (2013) elevated Scythropiinae to family to contain ''Scythropia''.
[
The two remaining subfamilies are:][
* Saridoscelinae
* Yponomeutinae
The following genera have not been assigned subfamilies:
* '' Abacistis''
* '' Acrataula''
* '' Aemylurgis''
* '' Aictis''
* '' Amalthina''
* '' Anaphantis''
* '' Argyresthites''
* '' Artenacia''
* '' Balanoptica''
* '' Betharga''
* '' Buxeta''
* '' Calamotis''
* '']Callithrinca
''Callithrinca'' is a genus of moths of the family Yponomeutidae.
Species
*''Callithrinca angoonae'' - Moriuti, 1982 (from Thailand)
*''Callithrinca evocatella'' - (Walker, 1863) (from Borneo)
*''Callithrinca niphopyrrha'' - Meyrick, 1927 (fr ...
''
* '' Caminophantis''
* '' Chionaemopsis''
* '' Citrinarchis''
* '' Conchiophora''
* '' Coptoproctis''
* ''Cymonympha
''Cymonympha'' is a genus of moths of the family Yponomeutidae. This genus only contains one species, that has a wingspan of 7mm:
Species
*'' Cymonympha xantholeuca'' - Meyrick, 1927 (from Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of ...
''
* '' Dascia''
* '' Diaphragmistis''
* '' Entrichiria''
* '' Epactosaris''
* '' Epichthonodes''
* '' Eriopyrrha''
* '' Euarne''
* '' Exanthica''
* '' Exaulistis''
* '' Hesperarcha''
* '' Hierodryas''
* '' Ilychytis''
* '' Iriania''
* '' Iridostoma''
* '' Isotornis''
* '' Ithutomus''
* '' Metanomeuta''
* '' Metharmostis''
* '' Mnemoses''
* '' Mychonoa''
* '' Nematobola''
* '' Nosymna''
* '' Orencostoma''
* '' Oridryas''
* '' Orinympha''
* '' Orthosaris''
* '' Palaetheta''
* '' Parazelota''
* '' Parexaula''
* '' Pauridioneura''
* '' Phasmatographa''
* '' Piestoceros''
* '' Podiasa''
* '' Porphyrocrates''
* '' Pronomeuta''
* '' Protonoma''
* '' Pseudorinympha''
* '' Thyridectis''
* '' Thyrsotarsa''
* '' Toiana''
* '' Trisophista''
* '' Typhogenes''
Characteristics
Ermine moths are small to medium-sized moths varying in wingspan from . The heads mostly have smooth scales, the haustellum is naked and the labial palps are curved upwards. The maxillary palps usually consist of one or two segments. The wings are long, often with fringes on the trailing edges of the hindwings. The colour is usually white, pale grey or drab, often with many dark speckles.nocturnal
Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatur ...
.
The larvae are leaf-webbers, leaf skeletonizers, leafminers or needleminers and are found on a variety of host
A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it.
Host may also refer to:
Places
* Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County
* Host Island, in the Wilhelm Archipelago, Antarctica
People
* ...
plants. Some cause economic damage to crops and trees.[
]
Species (selection)
Better-known species include:
* Spindle ermine, ''Yponomeuta cagnagella''
* Bird-cherry ermine, ''Yponomeuta evonymella''
* Orchard ermine, ''Yponomeuta padella''
* ''Yponomeuta plumbella
''Yponomeuta plumbella'' is a moth from the family Yponomeutidae, the ermine moths.
Distribution
This species is widespread in most of Europe and in Asia Minor.
Description
The wingspan of ''Yponomeuta plumbella'' ranges from 16 to 20 millimet ...
''
* '' Acmosara polyxena''
* Apple ermine
''Yponomeuta malinellus'', the apple ermine, is a moth of the family Yponomeutidae. It is native to Europe and Asia, and it has spread to North America.
The wingspan is . The forewings are white and have 12 to 16 black dots, which are arranged ...
''Yponomeuta malinellus''
* Ailanthus webworm
The ailanthus webworm (''Atteva aurea'') is an ermine moth now found commonly in the United States. It was formerly known under the scientific name ''Atteva punctella'' (see Taxonomy section). This small, very colorful moth resembles a true bug ...
Etymology
The word Yponomeutidae comes from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
(') meaning under and (') meaning food or dwelling, thus "feeding secretly, or burrow".
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Moths of Australia