Pterophoridae Pterophoridae

Pterophoridae - Definition and Overview

Pterophoridae
Pterophorus pentadactyla, White Plume Moth

Pterophorus pentadactyla, White Plume Moth

Scientific classification
Domain:Eukaryota
Kingdom:Animalia
Subkingdom:Metazoa
Phylum:Arthropoda
Subphylum:Hexapoda
Class:Insecta
Subclass:Pterygota
Infraclass:Neoptera
Superorder:Endopterygota
Order:Lepidoptera
Suborder:Ditrysia
Division:Microlepidoptera
Superfamily:Pterophoroidea
Family:Pterophoridae
Author:Zeller, 1841
Type species:Pterophorus pentadactyla
Diversity:73 genera
986 species
Subfamilies

Agdistinae
Deuterocopinae
Macropiratinae
Ochyroticinae
Pterophorinae

Genera
Pterophorus

and some 90 others

The Pterophoridae or plume-moths are a family of Lepidoptera with unusually modified wings. The fore-wings consist of (usually) two curved spars with more or less bedraggled bristles trailing behind (compare the greater number of symmetrical plumes of the Alucitidae). The hind wings are similarly constructed on three spars. 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.

Cnaemidophorus rhododactylus
Enlarge
Cnaemidophorus rhododactylus

Economically important pterophorids include the artichoke plume moth (Platyptilia carduidactyla), a pest in California, while the Geranium plume moth Platyptilia pica and the Snapdragon plume moth Stenoptilodes antirrhina can cause damage to their respective host garden plants. Other plume-moths have been used as biological control agents against invasive plant species - Lantanophaga pusillidactyla against shrub verbena (Lantana camara), and Oidematophorus beneficus against mist flower (Ageratina riparia).


Arthropoda - Insecta - Families of Lepidoptera Monarch Butterfly

Acanthopteroctetidae - Acrolepiidae - Acrolophidae - Adelidae - Agathiphagidae - Agonoxenidae - Aididae - Alucitidae - Anomoeotidae - Anomosetidae - Anthelidae - Arctiidae - Arrhenophanidae - Axiidae - Batrachedridae - Bedelliidae - Blastobasidae - Bombycidae - Brachodidae - Brahmaeidae - Bucculatricidae - Callidulidae - Carposinidae - Carthaeidae - Castniidae - Cecidosidae - Choreutidae - Coleophoridae - Copromorphidae - Cosmopterigidae - Cossidae - Crambidae - Crinopterygidae - Cyclotornidae - Dalceridae - Doidae - Douglasiidae - Drepanidae - Dudgeoneidae - Elachistidae - Endromidae - Epermeniidae - Epicopeiidae - Epipyropidae - Eriocottidae - Eriocraniidae - Ethmiidae - Eupterotidae - Galacticidae - Gelechiidae - Geometridae - Glyphipterigidae - Gracillariidae - Hedylidae - Heliodinidae - Heliozelidae - Hepialidae - Hesperiidae - Heterobathmiidae - Heterogynidae - Himantopteridae - Holcopogonidae - Hyblaeidae - Immidae - Incurvariidae - Lacturidae - Lasiocampidae - Lecithoceridae - Lemoniidae - Limacodidae - Lophocoronidae - Lycaenidae - Lymantriidae - Lyonetiidae - Lypusidae - Megalopygidae - Metachandidae - Micropterigidae - Mimallonidae - Mirinidae - Mnesarchaeidae - Momphidae - Neopseustidae - Neotheoridae - Nepticulidae - Noctuidae - Nolidae - Notodontidae - Nymphalidae - Oecophoridae - Oenosandridae - Opostegidae - Palaeosetidae - Palaephatidae - Pantheidae - Papilionidae - Pieridae - Plutellidae - Prodoxidae - Prototheoridae - Psychidae - Pterolonchidae - Pterophoridae - Pyralidae - Riodinidae - Roeslerstammiidae - Saturniidae - Schreckensteiniidae - Scythrididae - Sematuridae - Sesiidae - Simaethistidae - Somabrachyidae - Sphingidae - Symmocidae - Thyrididae - Tineidae - Tineodidae - Tischeriidae - Tortricidae - Uraniidae - Urodidae - Whalleyanidae - Yponomeutidae - Ypsolophidae - Zygaenidae

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