Pterophoroidea

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 (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. 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
* 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
* (2024): Catalogue of World Pterophoroide
Website
* (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
* A slow-motion video of a flying plume moth, taken by three fast cameras https://www.beatus-lab.org/fun-stuff

{{DEFAULTSORT:Plume Moth
Pterophoridae,
Moth families