Pterophoridae

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".

Pterophoridae
Temporal range:
Pterophorus pentadactyla
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Pterophoroidea
Family: Pterophoridae
Zeller, 1841
Type species
Pterophorus pentadactyla
Linnaeus, 1758
Subfamilies
  • Agdistinae
  • Deuterocopinae
  • Ochyroticinae
  • Pterophorinae
Diversity
>90 genera
>1,000 species

Description and ecology
Pupa of Platyptilia tetradactyla (Pterophorinae: Platyptiliini)

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.[1] 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)[2] 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),[3] and Wheeleria spilodactylus against horehound (Marrubium vulgare).[4]

Evolution

A fossil species from the extant genus Merrifieldia is known from the Oligocene of France.[5][6]

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[7].

The family is divided into the following subfamilies, tribes and genera,[8] 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 celidotus
      (Pterophorinae: Platyptiliini)
      Platyptilia falcatalis
      (Pterophorinae: Platyptiliini)
      • 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
      Stenodacma wahlbergi (Pterophorinae: Oxyptilini)
    • 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
        Stangeia xerodes
        (Pterophorinae: Oxyptilini)
    • Genus Stenodacma
    • Genus Tomotilus
    • Genus Trichoptilus
  • Tribe Oidaematophorini
    • Genus Adaina
    • Genus Crassuncus
    • Genus Emmelina Tutt, 1905
    • 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
    • Genus Septuaginta
    • Genus Singularia
    • Genus Tabulaephorus
    • Genus Wheeleria Tutt, 1905
      • Wheeleria spilodactylus

Footnotes
  1. Haynes, K.F. & Birch, M.C. (1984)
  2. MDA (1980)
  3. Palmer, W.A. & Haseler, W.H. (1992)
  4. Baker, J. (2002)
  5. L. Bigot, A. Nel, and J. Nel. 1986. Description de la première espèce fossile connue de Ptérophore (Lepidoptera Pterophoridae). Alexanor 14:283-288
  6. SOHN, JAE-CHEON; LABANDEIRA, CONRAD; DAVIS, DONALD; MITTER, CHARLES (2012-04-30). "An annotated catalog of fossil and subfossil Lepidoptera (Insecta: Holometabola) of the world". Zootaxa. 3286 (1): 1. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3286.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334.
  7. Hobern, D. (2024)
  8. Gielis, Cees (2000-05-31). "Division of the Pterophoridae into Tribes (Lepidoptera)" (PDF). Quadrifina. 3: 57–60 – via ZOBODAT.

References
  • Baker, J. (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
  • Hobern, D. (2024): Catalogue of World Pterophoroidea Website
  • Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) (1980): Geranium Plume Moth Quarantine. PDF fulltext
  • Palmer, W.A & Haseler, W.H. (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
  • Haynes, K.F. & Birch, M.C. (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]
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