Gelechioidea

Gelechioidea
Curved-horn moths
Adult Xylorycta assimilis of the Xyloryctidae, photographed in Aranda (Australia)
Note prominent "horns" and long antennae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Infraclass: Neoptera
Superorder: Endopterygota
Order: Lepidoptera
Suborder: Glossata
Infraorder: Heteroneura
Division: Ditrysia
Superfamily: Gelechioidea
Fracker, 1915
Diversity
18 families (but see text)

Gelechioidea is the superfamily of moths that contains the case-bearers, twirler moths and relatives, also simply called curved-horn moths or gelechioid moths. They are a large and poorly understood '"micromoth" superfamily, constituting one of the basal lineages of the Ditrysia.[1]

As of the 1990s, this superfamily was composed of about 1,425 genera and 16,250 species. It was estimated[2] that only 25% of the species diversity of Gelechioidea has been described. If this estimate is accurate, Gelechioidea will be one of the largest superfamilies of Lepidoptera.[1]

The name "curved-horn moths" refers to one of the few conspicuous features found in (almost) all Gelechioidea, and at least in the more extreme developments unique to them: the labial palps are well-developed (though not thickened), and form more or less gently curved protrusions whose terminal segment has a drawn-out pointed tip. Their proboscis is generally well-developed, allowing for long-lived imagines (adults); the proximal part of the proboscis is scaly. Otherwise, the Gelechioidea vary extensively in habitus; most have small hindwings with long hairy fringes, though these are not easily seen in the living animal as they are tucked under the forewings at rest. Usually, they are quite compressed either dorsoventrally or laterally.[3]

Families

The phylogeny and classification of the Gelechioidea remains subject of considerable dispute. For example, the Elachistidae were at one time used as a sort of "wastebin taxon" to unite as subfamilies a variety of plesiomorphic members of this superfamily, which do not actually seem to form a monophyletic group. Many of these have now been moved to the Oecophoridae, but others are almost certainly likely families in their own right, while additional ones may well be so.[4]

Provisionally, the Gelechioidea are divided into the following family-level taxa:[5]

The genus Aeolanthes is sometimes placed in the Elachistidae, Lecithoceridae or Oecophoridae as a monotypic subfamily (Aeolanthinae), but its actual relationships are not reliably determined yet.

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Robinson et al. (1994), Hodges (1999), O'Toole (2002)
  2. ^ Hodges (1999)
  3. ^ Robinson et al. (1994)
  4. ^ Hodges (1999), O'Toole (2002), ToL (2009), Wikispecies (2009-OCT-12)
  5. ^ Wikispecies (2009-OCT-12)

References

Data related to Gelechioidea at Wikispecies See also associated Talk page for comparison of some approaches to gelechioid systematics and taxonomy.

  • Hodges, R.W. (1999): The Gelechioidea. In: Kristensen, N.P. (ed.): Handbuch der Zoologie/Handbook of Zoology (Volume IV – Arthropoda: Insecta. Part 35: Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies 1): 131–158. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin & New York. ISBN 3-110-15704-7
  • O'Toole, Christopher (ed.) (2002): Firefly Encyclopedia of Insects and Spiders. ISBN 1-55297-612-2
  • Robinson, G.S.; Tuck, K.R.; Shaffer, M. and Cook, K. (1994): The smaller moths of South-East Asia. Malaysian Nature Society, Kuala Lumpur.
  • Tree of Life Web Project (ToL) (2009): Gelechioidea. Version of 2009-APR-02. Retrieved 2010-APR-22.

External links

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Microlepidoptera

Monotrysia: Andesianoidea · Nepticuloidea · Incurvarioidea · Tischerioidea · Palaephatoidea

Ditrysian micros: Acanthopteroctetoidea · Alucitoidea · Choreutoidea · Copromorphoidea · Cossoidea · Epermenioidea · Galacticoidea · Gelechioidea · Gracillarioidea · Hyblaeoidea · Incurvarioidea · Pterophoroidea · Pyraloidea · Schreckensteinioidea · Sesioidea · Simaethistoidea · Thyridoidea · Tineoidea · Tortricoidea · Urodoidea · Whalleyanoidea · Yponomeutoidea · Zygaenoidea

Basal lineages: Micropterigoidea · Agathiphagoidea · Eriocranioidea · Hepialoidea · Heterobathmioidea · Lophocoronoidea · Mnesarchaeoidea · Neopseustoidea
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