The Plutellidae are a family of

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 ...

s commonly known as the diamondback moths, named after the diamondback moth (''Plutella xylostella'') of European origin. It was once considered to have three subfamilies: Plutellinae, Praydinae, and Scythropiinae. Praydinae was later elevated to its own family, Praydidae, while Scythropiinae has variously been moved to

Yponomeutidae : ''Certain members of the unrelated snout moths (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 in the family Yponomeutidae, which has s ...

or also elevated to its own family.

Characteristics

Moths in this family are small to medium in size with wingspans ranging from . The head usually bears smooth scales and the antennae are often thickened in the middle. The wings are elongated and the hindwings often bear long fringes. The forewings often appear to be sickle-shaped because of the arrangement of the fringes. The colouring is generally drab, with various banding and marking. The adults are mostly

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 ...

crepuscular In zoology, a crepuscular animal is one that is active primarily during the twilight period, being matutinal (active during dawn), vespertine (biology), vespertine/vespertinal (active during dusk), or both. This is distinguished from diurnalit ...

. The larvae feed on the surfaces of leaves which they skeletonise. The host plants vary, but many are in the family

Brassicaceae Brassicaceae () or (the older but equally valid) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important Family (biology), family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous pla ...

. Some species are economic pests, especially ''Plutella xylostella.''

Genera

Below are the genera of the family Plutellidae: *'' Angoonopteryx'' Moriuti, 1983 *'' Anthonympha'' Moriuti, 1971 *'' Araeolepia'' Walsingham, 1881 *'' Arrhetopista'' Meyrick, 1936 *'' Automachaeris'' Meyrick, 1907 *'' Baerenschenkia'' Mey, 2011 *'' Bahrlutia'' Amsel, 1935 *'' Cadmogenes'' Meyrick, 1923 *'' Calliathla'' Meyrick, 1931 *'' Charitoleuca'' Meyrick, 1938 *'' Charixena'' Meyrick, 1920 *'' Chrysorthenches'' Dugdale, 1996 *'' Circoxena'' Meyrick, 1916 *'' Conopotarsa'' Meyrick, 1913 *'' Deryaxenistis'' Mey, 2011 *'' Diastatica'' Meyrick, 1938 *'' Diathryptica'' Meyrick, 1907 *'' Dieda'' Diakonoff, 1955 *'' Dolichernis'' Meyrick, 1891 *'' Doxophyrtis'' Meyrick, 1914 *'' Eidophasia'' Stephens, 1842 *'' Embryonopsis'' Eaton, 1875 *'' Endozestis'' Meyrick, 1933 *'' Eudolichura'' Clarke, 1965 *'' Genostele'' Walsingham, 1900 *'' Gypsosaris'' Meyrick, 1909 *'' Helenodes'' Meyrick, 1913 *'' Hyperxena'' Meyrick, 1882 *'' Lepocnemis'' Meyrick, 1913 *'' Leuroperna'' Clarke, 1965 *'' Leuroptila'' Turner, 1923 *'' Lunakia'' Klimesch, 1941 *'' Melitonympha'' Meyrick, 1927 *'' Niphodidactis'' Meyrick, 1938 *'' Orthenches'' Meyrick, 1885 *'' Orthiostola'' Meyrick, 1927 *'' Paraxenistis'' Meyrick, 1919 *'' Phalangitis'' Meyrick, 1907 *'' Philaustera'' Meyrick, 1927 *'' Phylacodes'' Meyrick, 1905 *'' Pliniaca'' Busck, 1907 *'' Plutella'' Schrank, 1802 *'' Plutellites'' Kozlov, 1988 *'' Plutelloptera'' Baraniak, 2007 *'' Proditrix'' Dugdale, 1987 *'' Protosynaema'' Meyrick, 1885 *'' Psychromnestra'' Meyrick, 1924 *'' Rhigognostis'' Zeller, 1857 *'' Scaeophanes'' Meyrick, 1932 *'' Spyridarcha'' Meyrick, 1913 *'' Stachyotis'' Meyrick, 1905 *'' Subeidophasia'' Weber, 1938 *'' Tonza'' Walker, 1864 *'' Tritymba'' Lower, 1894 *'' Zarcinia'' Chretien, 1915

Excluded genera and species

The fungus moth '' Erechthias niphochrysa'' was also once included here, as a distinct genus ''Acrocenotes''. The family Acrolepiidae (including the genera '' Acrolepia'', '' Acrolepiopsis'', and '' Digitivalva'') is sometimes included in the Plutellidae.

References

* , 2011: New and little known species of Lepidoptera of southwestern Africa. ''Esperiana Buchreihe zur Entomologie'' Memoir 6: 146–261. * , 2012: ''Phrealcia steueri'' n. sp. und ''P. friesei'' n. sp. - zwei neue Arten einer disjunkt verbreiteten Gattung (Lepidoptera, Ypsolophidae). ''Entomologische Nachrichten und Berichte'' 56:53- 57. * . Butterflies and Moths of the World: Generic Names and their Type-species. Natural History Museu

* , 2012: Catalogue of the type specimens of Yponomeutoidea (Lepidoptera) in the collection of the United States National Museum of Natural History. ''Zootaxa'' 3573: 1–17. Abstract

{{Authority control Plutellidae, Taxa named by Achille Guenée