Gracillariidae

Taxobox | name = Gracillariidae

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image_width = 240px
image_caption = Privet Leaf Miner, "Gracillaria syringella" (Fabricius, 1794)
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
class = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
subordo = Glossata
infraordo Heteroneura
unranked_familia = Ditrysia
superfamilia = Gracillarioidea
familia = Gracillariidae
familia_authority = Stainton, 1854
diversity = 1809 species
diversity_link = Lepidopteran diversity
subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies
subdivision =
*Gracillariinae Stainton, 1854

*Lithocolletinae Stainton, 1854

*Phyllocnistinae Herrich-Schäffer, 1857 Genera - see "Subfamilies and Genera"

Gracillariidae is an important family of insects in the order Lepidoptera and the principal family of leaf miners that includes several economic, horticultural or recently invasive pest species such as the horse-chestnut leaf miner, "Cameraria ohridella".

Taxonomy and systematics

There are 98 described genera of Gracillariidae (see "Subfamilies and Genera"). A complete checklist is available of all 1809 currently recognised species (de Prins and de Prins 2005). There are many undescribed species in the tropics but there is also an online catalogue of Afrotropical described species [http://www.metafro.be/graci] ; the South African fauna is quite well known. Although Japanese and Russian authors have recognised additional subfamilies (de Prins and de Prins, 2005), there are three currently recognised subfamilies, Phyllocnistinae of which is likely to be basal. In this subfamily, the primitive genus "Prophyllocnistis" from Chile feeds on the plant genus "Drimys" (Winteraceae), and has leaf mines structurally similar in structure to fossils (Davis, 1994) (see "Fossils"). While there have been some recent DNA sequence-based studies of Palaearctic species (Lopez-Vaamonde et al., 2003, 2006), there is need for a satisfactory modern global phylogenetic framework for the subfamilies of Gracillaridae. Some genera are very large, e.g. "Acrocercops", "Caloptilia", "Cameraria", "Epicephala" and "Phyllonorycter".

Distribution

Gracillariidae occurs in all terrestrial regions of the World except Antarctica.

Identification

These generally small (wingspan 5-20 mm.) moths and are leaf miners as caterpillars [http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/gracillariidae.htm] which can provide a useful means of identification especially if the hostplant is known. The subfamilies differ by the adult moth resting posture (Davis and Robinson, 1999). Most Gracillariinae rest with the front of the body steeply raised; Lithocolletinae and Phyllocnistinae rest with the body parallel to the surface, or in Lithocolletinae often with the head lowered.

Life history

The first to fifth-instar larvae are flattened and possess specialised mouthparts adapted for feeding on sap. Older-instar larvae are cylindrical and have normal chewing mouthparts for feeding on plant tissue within the leaf mines, and have a fully functional silk-producing organ the "spinneret". Some genera have an intermediate stage in this remarkable hypermetamorphosis (Davis and Robinson, 1999).

Larval hostplants

Many hostplants are known, generally dicotyledonous trees or shrubs [http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/hostplants/list.dsml?searchPageURL=browse.dsml&Family=Gracillariidae&Genus=&Species=&Country=&sort=Family] . Patterns of hostplant shifting have been inferred for many United Kingdom species in the genus "Phyllonorycter" and its sister genus "Cameraria" (Lopez-Vaamonde et al., 2003). Another recent DNA sequencing study mainly of Palaearctic species has shown that the burst of evolutionary adaptive radiation occurred long after that of the larval hostplants, rather than demonstrating a tight coevolutionary process (Lopez-Vaamonde et al., 2006).

Fossils

The family is an old one, with fossil Phyllocnistinae mines known from 97 million old rocks in Kansas and Nebraska (Labandeira et al. 1994). There are other fossil mines known from rocks of Eocene and Miocene age (de Prins and de Prins, 2005). There are also two adult moths are known from from Lithuanian or Baltic amber of Eocene age: "Gracillariites lithuanicus" Kozlov, 1987 and "G. mixtus" Kozlov, 1987) (de Prins and de Prins, 2005).

References

*Davis, D.R. (1994). New leaf-mining moths from Chile, with remarks on the history and composition of Phyllocnistinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae). "Tropical Lepidoptera", 5(1): 65-74.
*Davis, D.R, and Robinson, G.S. (1999). The Tineoidea and Gracillarioidea. In: Kristensen, N.P. (ed.), "Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies, 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography". Handbuch der Zoologie 4 (35): 91-117. Walter de Gruyter. Berlin, New York.
*de Prins, W., and de Prins, J. (.2005). "Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera)". World Catalogue of Insects, Volume 6. Apollo Book, Stenstrup. ISBN 87-88757-64-1.
*Labandeira, C.C., Dilcher, D.L., Davis, D.R. and Wagner, D.L. 1994. Ninety-Seven Million Years of Angiosperm-Insect Association: Paleobiological Insights into the Meaning of Coevolution. "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America", 91(25): 12278-12282. [http://www.pnas.org/cgi/reprint/91/25/12278.pdf pdf]
*Lopez-Vaamonde, C., Godfray, H.C.J. and Cook, J.M. (2003). Evolutionary dynamics of host-plant use in a genus of leaf-mining moths. "Evolution", 57(8): 1804-1821. [http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&issn=0014-3820&volume=057&issue=08&page=1804 Abstract]
*Lopez-Vaamonde, C., Wikström, N., Labandeira, C., Godfray, H.C.J., Goodman, S.J. and Cook, J.M. 2006. Fossil-calibrated molecular phylogenies reveal that leaf-mining moths radiated millions of years after their host plants. "Journal of Evolutionary Biology", 19 (4): 1314-1326. [http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/jeb/2006/00000019/00000004/art00030 Abstract]

External links

* [http://tolweb.org/Gracillariidae Tree of Life]
* [http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/hostplants/list.dsml?searchPageURL=browse.dsml&Family=Gracillariidae&Genus=&Species=&Country=&sort=Family Natural History Museum hosts database]
* [http://www.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/butmoth/GenusList3.dsml?FAMILY=gracil&AUTHORqtype=starts+with&sort=GENUS&SUBTRIBEqtype=starts+with&YEARqtype=equals&beginIndex=0&GENUSqtype=starts+with&TRIBEqtype=starts+with&SUBFAMILYqtype=starts+with&FAMILYqtype=starts+with&searchPageURL=index%2edsml%3fFAMILY%3dgracil%26AUTHORqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26sort%3dGENUS%26SUBTRIBEqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26YEARqtype%3dequals%26beginIndex%3d120%26GENUSqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26TRIBEqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26SUBFAMILYqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26FAMILYqtype%3dstarts%2bwith Natural History Museum Lepidoptera genus database]
* [http://www.metafro.be/graci Afrotropical Checklist]
* [http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=1033 Fauna Europaea Gracillariidae]
* [http://www.faunaeur.org/experts.php?group_id=63 Fauna Europaea : Experts]
* [http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/orn/shrubs/azalea_leafminer.htm "Caloptilia azaleella", azalea leafminer] on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
* [http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/citrus/citrus_peelminer.htm "Marmara gulosa", citrus peelminer] on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site

ubfamilies and Genera

*Phyllocnistinae Herrich-Schäffer, 1857
**"Corythoxestis" Meyrick, 1921
**="Cryphiomystis" Meyrick, 1922
**"Eumetrichroa" Kumata, 1998
**"Guttigera" Diakonoff, 1955
**"Metriochroa" Busck, 1900
**="Oecophyllembius" Silvestri, 1908
**"Phyllocnistis" Zeller, 1848
**"Prophyllocnistis" Davis, 1994
*Gracillariinae Stainton, 1854
**"Gracillaria" Haworth, 1928
**="Gracilaria" Zeller, 1839
**="Gracilaria" Walsingham, 1907
**="Xanthospilapteryx" Spuler, 1910
**"Acrocercops" Wallengren, 1881
**"Africephala" Vári, 1986
**"Amblyptila" Vári, 1961
**"Apistoneura" Vári, 1961
**"Apophthisis" Braun, 1915
**"Aristaea" Meyrick, 1907
**"Artifodina" Kumata, 1985
**"Aspilapteryx" Spuler, 1910
**="Sabulopteryx" Triberti, 1985
**"Borboryctis" Kumata & Kurokoo, 1988
**"Callicercops" Vári, 1961
**"Callisto" Stephens, 1834
**="Annickia" Gibeaux, 1990
**"Caloptilia" Hübner, 1825
**="Poeciloptilia"Hübner, 1825
**="Ornix" Collar, 1832
**="Ornix" Treitschke, 1833
**="Coriscium" Zeler, 1839
**="Calliptilia" Agassiz, 1847
**="Timodora" meyrick, 1886
**="Antiolopha" Meyrick, 1894
**="Sphyrophora" Vári, 1961
**="Phylloptilia" Kumata, 1982
**="Rhadinoptilia" Kumata, 1982
**="Minyoptilia" Kumata, 1982
**="Cecidoptilia" Kumata, 1982
**"Calybites" Hübner, 1822
**"Chilocampyla" Busck, 1900
**"Chrysocercops" Kumata & Kuroko, 1988
**"Conopobathra" Vári, 1961
**"Conopomorpha" Meyrick, 1885
**"Conopomorphina" Vári, 1961
**"Corethrovalva" Vári, 1961
**"Cryptolectica" Vári, 1961
**"Cryptologa" Fletcher, 1921
**"Cupedia" Klimesch & Kumata, 1973
**"Cuphodes" Meyrick, 1897
**"Cyphosticha" Meyrick, 1907
**"Dekeidoryxis" Kumata, 1989
**"Dendrorycter" Kumata, 1978
**"Deoptilia" Kumata & Kuroko, 1988
**"Dextellia" Triberti, 1986
**"Dialectica" Walsingham, 1897
**"Diphtheroptila" Vári, 1961
**"Dysectopa" Vári, 1961
**"Ectropina" Vári, 1961
**"Epicephala" Meyrick, 1980
**="Iraina" Diakonoff, 1955
**="Leiocephala" Kuznetzov & Baryschnikova, 2001
**"Epicnistis" Meyrick, 1906
**"Eteoryctis" Kumata & Kuroko, 1988
**"Eucalybites" Kumata, 1982
**"Eucosmophora" Walsingham, 1897
**"Euprophantis" Meyrick, 1921
**"Eurytyla" Meyrick, 1893
**"Euspilapteryx" Stephens, 1835
**"Gibbovalva" Kumata & Kuroko, 1988
**"Graphiocephala" Vári, 1961
**"Hypectopa" Diakonoff, 1955
**"Ketapangia" Kumata, 1995
**"Lamprolectica" Vári, 1961
**"Leucanthiza" Clemens, 1859
**"Leucocercops" Vári, 1961
**"Leucospilapteryx" Spuler, 1910
**"Liocrobyla" Meyrick, 1916
**"Macarostola" Meyrick, 1907
**"Marmara" Clemens, 1863
**"Melanocercops" Kumata & Kuroko, 1988
**"Metacercops" Vári, 1961
**"Micrurapteryx" Spuler, 1910
**"Monocercops" Kumata, 1989
**"Neurobathra" Ely, 1918
**"Neurolipa" Ely, 1918
**"Neurostrota" Ely, 1918
**"Oligoneurina" Vári, 1961
**"Ornixola" Kuznetzov, 1979
**"Pareclectis" Meyrick, 1937
**"Parectopa" Clemens, 1860
**"Parornix" Spuler, 1910
**="Alfaornix" Kuznetzov, 1979
**="Betaornix" Kuznetzov, 1979
**="Deltaornix" Kuznetzov, 1979
**="Gammaornix" Kuznetzov, 1979
**"Penica" Walsingham, 1914
**"Philodoria" Walsingham, 1907
**="Euphilodoria" Zimmermann, 1978
**"Phodoryctis" Kumata & Kuroko, 1988
**"Phrixosceles" Meyrick, 1908
**"Pleiomorpha" Vári, 1961
**"Pogonocephala" Vári, 1961
**"Polydema" Vári, 1961
**"Polymitia" Triberti, 1986
**"Polysoma" Vári, 1961
**"Povolnya" Kuznetzov, 1979
**"Psydrocercops" Kumata & Kuroko, 1988
**"Sauterina" Kuznetzov, 1979
**"Schedocercops" Vári, 1961
**"Semnocera" Vári, 1961
**"Spanioptila" Walsingham, 1897
**"Spulerina" Vári, 1961
**"Stomphastis" Meyrick, 1912
**"Synnympha" Meyrick, 1915
**"Systoloneura" Vári, 1961
**"Telamoptilia" Kumata & Kuroko, 1988
*Lithocolletinae Stainton, 1854
**"Cameraria" Chapman, 1902
**"Chrysaster" Kumata, 1961
**"Cremastobombycia" Braun, 1908
**"Hyloconis" Kumata, 1963
**"Neolithocolletis" Kumata, 1963
**"Phyllonorycter" Hübner, 1822
**="Lithocolletis" Hübner, 1825
**="Eucestis" Hübner, 1825
**="Hirsuta" Fletcher, 1929
**"Porphyrosela" Braun, 1908
**"Protolithocolletis" Braun, 1929
*Subfamily unassigned
**"Gracillariites" Kozlov, 1987