Epermeniidae

Taxobox
name = Epermeniidae


image_width =
image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
subordo = Glossata
cohorto = Myoglossata
subcohorto = Neolepidoptera
infraordo = Heteroneura
unranked_familia= Ditrysia
superfamilia = Epermenioidea
superfamilia_authority = Minet, 1983
familia = Epermeniidae
familia_authority = Spuler, 1910
diversity = About 83 species
diversity_link = Lepidopteran diversity
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision =
*"Epermenia Hübner, 1825
**="Acanthedra Meyrick, 1917
**="Calotripis Hübner, 1825
**="Chauliodus Treitschke, 1833
**="Epermeniola Gaedike, 1968
**="Lophonotus Stephens, 1829
**="Tichotripis Hübner, 1825
**="Epimarptis Meyrick, 1914
*"Paraepermenia Gaedike, 1968
*"Sinicaepermenia Heppner, 1990
*"Agiton" Turner, 1926
*"Cataplectica" Walsingham, 1894
**="Heydenia" Hofmann, 1868
*"Phaulernis" Meyrick, 1895
*"Lasiostega" Meyrick, 1932
*"Notodryas" Meyrick, 1897
*"Picrodoxa" Meyrick, 1923
*"Temeluchella" Fletcher, 1940
**="Temelucha" Meyrick, 1909
*"Ochromolopis" Hübner, 1825
*"Parochromolopis" Gaedike, 1977
*"Gnathifera" Gaedike, 1978
*"Thambotricha" Meyrick, 1922

Epermeniidae or "fringe-tufted moths" is a family of insects in the lepidopteran order with about 14 genera. Previously they have been divided in two subfamilies Epermeniinae and Ochromolopinae (e.g. Common, 1990: 321) but this is no longer maintained since the last group is probably hierarchically nested within the first (Dugdale et al., 1999). They are presently placed in their own superfamily but have previously been placed among the Yponomeutoidea or Copromorphoidea with which some features are shared. Their systematic placement among the apoditrysian [http://www.tolweb.org/Apoditrysia] ] group "Obtectomera" (having pupal segments I-IV immobile) is however uncertain. They show some morphological similarities to the "plume moths" (Alucitoidea and Pterophoroidea), for example the wing fringe has similar groups of scales (Dugdale et al., 1999). There are also some similarities to Schreckensteinioidea, for example spiny legs and at least in some species an open-network cocoon. The genus "Thambotricha" from New Zealand may be the sister group of all other extant members. The most important genera are "Epermenia", "Ochromolopis" and "Gnathifera". The group has been extensively revised and catalogued by Dr Reinhard Gaedike (e.g. Gaedike, 1977, 1979).

*Disambiguation notes: Gnathifera Ahlrichs, 1995 (gnathiferans) is also the name of a superphylum. "Chauliodus" Bloch & Schneider, 1801 is a genus of viperfish.

Identification

Epermeniidae are small narrow-winged moths, 7-20 mm. in wingspan, with conspicuous whorls of bristles on their legs, lacking spines on the abdomen unlike some similar moths. The smoothly scaled head bears no ocelli or "chaetosemata". They can be most easily confused with Stathmopodinae (Oecophoridae), which unlike epermeniids have the tarsi of the forelegs and midlegs without the whorls of spines, and whose proboscis is scaled at the base (Robinson et al., 1994, for further details). The projecting scale tufts on the inner margin of the hindwing [http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=1930] is the easiest field character (Common, 1990).

Distribution

Epermeniidae occur worldwide in both Temperate and Tropical regions where especially in montane areas (Robinson et al., 1994), but are sparsely known from the Afrotropics. "Gnathifera" occurs from Australia to New Caledonia; "Epermenia" ranges from the Palaearctic to Indo-Australia and the Pacific islands (Holloway et al., 2001).

Behaviour

Epermeniidae are nocturnal as adults and well-camouflaged. They rest parallel to the surface with their wings held over their back in a tent-like manner (Robinson et al., 1994) [http://ukmoths.org.uk/showzoom.php?id=1931] .

Biology

The caterpillars [http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=1932] feed inside almost any plant parts (fruits, seeds, galls, leaves or flowers), sometimes in a mine [http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/E.chaerophyllella.htm] or sometimes exposed or under silk on the leaf surface [http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=2625] ; unlike some Lepidoptera the pupa [http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=2626] [http://www.bladmineerders.nl/minersf/lepidopteramin/epermenia/mineperchae_f/eperchae_p_f/eperchae.htm] is not extruded from the cocoon (Robinson et al., 1994) and may be found in its fine open-network cocoon on the plant or amongst debris on the ground (Common, 1990).

Hostplants

Many species in Europe feed on "umbels" Apiaceae, and "Epermenia chaerophyllella" is a pest of cultivated species (Dugdale et al., 1999). Other species feed on the parasitic plant families Santalaceae (e.g. the Australian "Quandong moth") [http://linus.socs.uts.edu.au/~don/larvae/eper/santal.html] and Loranthaceae, or on Pinaceae, Pittosporaceae and Leguminosae [http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/hostplants/list.dsml?searchPageURL=index.dsml&Familyqtype=starts+with&Family=Epermeniidae&PFamilyqtype=starts+with&PFamily=&Genusqtype=starts+with&Genus=&PGenusqtype=starts+with&PGenus=&Speciesqtype=starts+with&Species=&PSpeciesqtype=starts+with&PSpecies=&Country=&sort=Family]

References

*Common, I.F.B. (1990). "Moths of Australia". Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden. 535 pages.
*Dugdale, J.S., Kristensen, N.P., Robinson, G.S. and Scoble, M.J. (1999) [1998] . The smaller microlepidoptera grade superfamilies, Ch.13., pp. 217-232 in Kristensen, N.P. (Ed.). "Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies". Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbuch der Zoologie. Eine Naturgeschichte der Stämme des Tierreiches / Handbook of Zoology. A Natural History of the phyla of the Animal Kingdom. Band / Volume IV Arthropoda: Insecta Teilband / Part 35: 491 pp. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York.
*Gaedike, R. (1977). Revision der nearktischen und neotropischen Epermeniidae (Lepidoptera). "Beiträge zur Entomologia", 27(2): 301-312.
*Gaedike, R. (1979). Katalog der Epermeniidae der Welt (Lepidoptera). "Beiträge zur Entomologia", 29: 201-209.
*Holloway, J.D., Kibby, G and Peggie, D. (1997). "The families of Malesian moths and butterflies". Fauna Malesia Handbooks. 455 pp. Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden.
*Robinson, G.S., Tuck, K.R., Shaffer, M. and Cook, K. (1994). "The smaller moths of South-East Asia". Malaysian Nature Society, Kuala Lumpur.

ources

*"Firefly Encyclopedia of Insects and Spiders", edited by Christopher O'Toole, ISBN 1-55297-612-2, 2002

External links

* [http://tolweb.org/Epermeniidae Tree of Life]
* [http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/hostplants/list.dsml?searchPageURL=index.dsml&Familyqtype=starts+with&Family=Epermeniidae&PFamilyqtype=starts+with&PFamily=&Genusqtype=starts+with&Genus=&PGenusqtype=starts+with&PGenus=&Speciesqtype=starts+with&Species=&PSpeciesqtype=starts+with&PSpecies=&Country=&sort=Family Natural History Museum hosts database]
* [http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/E.chaerophyllella.htm UK leafmines]
* [http://ukmoths.org.uk/search.php?entry=Epermeniidae UK Moths]
* [http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndsu/ndmoths/family/family_epermeniidae.htm Moths of North Dakota]
* [http://linus.socs.uts.edu.au/~don/larvae/eper/epermeniidae.html Epermeniidae of Australia]
* [http://linus.socs.uts.edu.au/~don/larvae/eper/santal.html Quandong Moth "Paraepermenia santaliella" Gaedike, 1968]
* [http://www.sardi.sa.gov.au/pages/ento/hort_pests/quandong.pdf Quandong Moth pdf]
* [http://delta-intkey.com/britin/lep/www/epermeni.htm Deltakey Epermeniidae]
* [http://delta-intkey.com/britin/images/staint10.jpgLarvae from Stainton]
* [http://delta-intkey.com/britin/images/meyr794.gifWing venation]
* [http://www.kolumbus.fi/~kr5298/micro/ch/cho.htm Finnish species]
* [http://www.tasleps.net/reframe.php?openframe=http://www.tasleps.net/species.php? Lepidoptera of Tasmania]
* [http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biosystematics/invertebrates/lepidoptera/cgi-bin/bug.pl?0456104?4120.0000 New Zealand "Thamnotricha vates"]
* [http://www.lepbarcoding.org/progress_list.php?campaign=aust&family=EPERMENIIDAE Barcoding Progress]
* [http://www.lepbarcoding.org/level_images.php?campaign=nth_am&level=sub_family,genus&type=No%20subfamily%20assigned,Ochromolopis "Ochromolopis" sp]
* [http://www.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/epermenioidea/epermeniidae/index.html Markku Savela's website]

Provisional list of species (based on Lepindex)

*"Agiton idioptila" Turner, 1926 [Australia]
*"Cataplectica afghanistanella" Gaedike, 1971
*"Cataplectica dentosella" Herrich-Schäffer, 1854
*"Cataplectica kruegeriella" Schawerda, 1921
*"Cataplectica devotella" (Heyden, 1863) (originally in "Oecophora")
*"Cataplectica farreni" Walsingham, 1894 [http://www2.nrm.se/en/svenska_fjarilar/e/epermenia_farreni.html]
*"Cataplectica vartianae" Gaedike, 1971
*"Epermenia aequidentellus" (Hofmann, 1867) (originally in "Chauliodus")
*"Epermenia daucellus" (Peyerimhoff, 1870) (originally in "Chauliodus")
*"Epermenia albapunctella" Busck, 1908
*"Epermenia anacantha" Meyrick, 1917
*"Epermenia bidentata" (Diakonoff, 1955) (originally in "Ochromolopis")
*"Epermenia caledonica" Gaedike, 1981
*"Epermenia californica" Gaedike, 1977
*"Epermenia canicinctella" (Clemens, 1863) (originally in "Chauliodus")
*"Epermenia chaerophyllellus" Goeze [http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=1931] [http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=1932] [http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=2625] [http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=2626] [http://www2.nrm.se/en/svenska_fjarilar/e/epermenia_chaerophyllella.html]
*"Epermenia fasciculellus" (Stephens, 1834) (originally in "Lophonotus")
*"Epermenia nigrostriatellus" (Heylaerts, 1883) (originally in "Chauliodus")
*"Epermenia testaceella" (Hübner, 1813) (originally in "Tinea")
*"Epermenia turatiella" Costantini, 1923
*"Epermenia cicutaella" Kearfott, 1903
*"Epermenia alameda" Braun, 1923
*"Epermenia commonella" Gaedike, 1968 [Australia]
*"Epermenia conioptila" Meyrick, 1921
*"Epermenia criticodes" Meyrick, 1913
*"Epermenia dracontias" Meyrick, 1917
*"Epermenia ellochistis" Meyrick, 1917
*"Epermenia epirrhicna" Meyrick, 1938
*"Epermenia epispora" Meyrick, 1897 [Australia]
*"Epermenia ergastica" Meyrick, 1917
*"Epermenia exilis" Meyrick, 1897 [Australia]
*"Epermenia illigerella" (Hübner, 1813) (originally in "Tinea") [http://www2.nrm.se/en/svenska_fjarilar/e/epermenia_illigerella.html]
*"Epermenia falciformis" Haworth, 1828 [http://www2.nrm.se/en/svenska_fjarilar/e/epermenia_falciformis.html] [http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=1602]
*"Epermenia imperialella" Busck, 1906
*"Epermenia infracta" Braun, 1926
*"Epermenia iniquella" (Wocke, 1867) (originally in "Chauliodus")
*"Epermenia insecurella" Stainton, 1849 (originally in "Elachista")
*"Epermenia plumbeella" Rebel, 1916
*"Epermenia insularis" Gaedike, 1979
*"Epermenia ithycentra" Meyrick, 1926
*"Epermenia leucomantis" Meyrick, 1917
*"Epermenia lomatii" Gaedike, 1977
*"Epermenia macescens" Meyrick, 1917
*"Epermenia ochreomaculella" Milliére, 1854
*"Epermenia asiatica" Gaedike, 1979
*"Epermenia prohaskaella" Schawerda, 1921
*"Epermenia ochrodesma" Meyrick, 1913
*"Epermenia oculigera" (Diakonoff, 1955) (originally in "Ochromolopis")
*"Epermenia orientalis" Geadike, 1966
*"Epermenia oriplanta" Bradley, 1965
*"Epermenia ozodes" Meyrick, 1917
*"Epermenia parasitica" Meyrick, 1930
*"Epermenia petrusella" Heylaerts, 1889
*"Epermenia kroneella" Rebel
*"Epermenia notodoxa" Gozmany, 1952
*"Epermenia phorticopa" Meyrick, 1921
*"Epermenia pimpinella" Murtfeldt, 1900
*"Epermenia pithanopis" Meyrick, 1921
*"Epermenia pontificella" (Hübner, 1796) (originally in "Tinea")
*"Epermenia praefumata" Meyrick, 1911
*"Epermenia profugella" (Stainton, 1856) [http://www2.nrm.se/en/svenska_fjarilar/e/epermenia_profugella.html]
*"Epermenia proserga" Meyrick, 1913
*"Epermenia schurellus" Herrich-Schäffer, 1855
*"Epermenia stolidota" (Meyrick, 1917) (originally in "Acanthedra")
*"Epermenia stictella" (Wocke, 1867) (originally in "Chauliodus")
*"Epermenia anthracoptila" Meyrick, 1931
*"Epermenia sublimicola" Meyrick, 1930
*"Epermenia strictelloides" Gaedike, 1977
*"Epermenia symmorias" Meyrick, 1923
*"Epermenia tasmanica" Gaedike, 1968 [Australia: Tasmania]
*"Epermenia trifilata" Meyrick, 1932
*"Epermenia trileucota" Meyrick, 1921 [Australia]
*"Epermenia xeranta" Meyrick, 1917 [Australia]
*"Epimarptis isolexa" Meyrick, 1931
*"Epimarptis philocoma" Meyrick, 1914
*"Epimarptis septicodes" Meyrick, 1917
*"Gnathifera acacivorella" Gaedike, 1968 (originally in "Ochromolopis") [Australia]
*"Gnathifera aphronesa" (Meyrick, 1897) (originally in "Epermenia") [Australia: Tasmania]
*"Gnathifera australica" (Gaedike, 1968) (originally in "Ochromolopis") [Australia]
*"Gnathifera bidentata" [Australia]
*"Gnathifera bipunctata" (Gaedike, 1968) (originally in "Ochromolopis") [Australia]
*"Gnathifera queenslandi" (Gaedike, 1968) (originally in "Ochromolopis")
*"Gnathifera eurybias" (Meyrick, 1897) (originally in "Epermenia") [Australia: Tasmania]
*"Gnathifera hollowayi" Gaedike, 1981
*"Gnathifera opsias" (Meyrick, 1897) (originally in "Epermenia") [Australia: Tasmania]
*"Gnathifera paraphronesa" (Gaedike, 1968) (originally in "Ochromolopis")
*"Gnathifera paropsias" (Gaedike, 1972) (originally in "Ochromolopis") [Australia]
*"Gnathifera pseudaphronesa" (Gaedike, 1972) (originally in "Ochromolopis") [Australia]
*"Gnathifera uptonella" (Gaedike, 1968) (originally in "Ochromolopis") [Australia]
*"Lasiostega siderina" Meyrick, 1932
*"Notodryas aeria" Meyrick, 1897
*"Notodryas callierga" Meyrick, 1906
*"Notodryas vallata" Meyrick, 1897
*"Ochromolopis bidentella" Gaedike, 1981
*"Ochromolopis bidentata" Gaedike, 1968
*"Ochromolopis chelyodes" (Meyrick, 1910) (originally in "Epermenia")
*"Ochromolopis cornutifera" Gaedike, 1968 [Australia]
*"Ochromolopis ictella" (Hübner, 1813) (originally in "Tinea")
*"Ochromolopis incrassa" Clarke, 1971
*"Ochromolopis kaszabi" Gaedike, 1973
*"Ochromolopis ramapoella" (Kearfott, 1903) (originally in "Epermenia")
*"Ochromolopis bidentata" (Braun, 1926) (originally in "Epermenia")
*"Ochromolopis metrothetis" (Meyrick, 1921) (originally in "Epermenia")
*"Ochromolopis sericella" (Hübner, 1811/17) (originally in "Tinea")
*"Ochromolopis staintoniellus" Stainton
*"Paraepermenia santaliella" Gaedike, 1968 [Australia]
*"Parochromolopis floridana" Gaedike, 1977
*"Parochromolopis parishi" Gaedike, 1977
*"Parochromolopis psittacanthus" Heppner, 1980
*"Parochromolopis syncrata" (Meyrick, 1921) (originally in "Epermenia")
*"Phaulernis dentella" (Zeller, 1839) (originally in "Aechmia") [http://www2.nrm.se/en/svenska_fjarilar/p/phaulernis_dentella.html]
*"Phaulernis subdentella" (Stainton, 1849) (originally in "Aechmia")
*"Phaulernis fulviguttella" (Zeller, 1839) (originally in "Cataplectica") [http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=2415] [http://www2.nrm.se/en/svenska_fjarilar/p/phaulernis_fulviguttella.html]
*"Phaulernis auromaculata" (Frey, 1867) (originally in "Oecophora")
*"Phaulernis monticola" Inoue et al., 1982
*"Phaulernis rebeliella" Gaedike, 1966
*"Phaulernis silerinella" (Rebel, 1916) (originally in "Epermenia")
*"Phaulernis statariella" (Heyden, 1863) (originally in "Heydenia")
*"Phaulernis silerinella" (Zeller, 1868) (originally in "Heydenia")
*"Phaulernis laserpitiella" (Pfaffenzeller, 1870) (originally in "Heydenia")
*"Picrodoxa harpodes" Meyrick, 1923
*"Sinicaepermenia taiwanella" Heppner, 1990
*"Temeluchella xeropa" (Meyrick, 1909) (originally in Temelucha")
*"Thambotricha vates" Meyrick, 1922 [http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biosystematics/invertebrates/lepidoptera/cgi-bin/bug.pl?0456104?4120.0000]