Gelechioidea
Encyclopedia
| name = Curved-horn moths
| image = Xylorycta assimilis.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = Adult Xylorycta assimilis
of the Xyloryctidae, photographed in Aranda
(Australia)
Note prominent "horns" and long antenna
e
| regnum = Animal
ia
| phylum = Arthropod
a
| classis = Insect
a
| subclassis = Pterygota
| infraclassis = Neoptera
| superordo = Endopterygota
| ordo = Lepidoptera
| subordo = Glossata
| infraordo = Heteroneura
| zoodivisio = Ditrysia
| superfamilia = Gelechioidea
| superfamilia_authority = Fracker, 1915
| diversity_link = #Families
| diversity = 18 families
(but see text)
}}
Gelechioidea is the superfamily
of moth
s 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
.
As of the 1990s, this superfamily was composed of about 1,425 genera
and 16,250 species
. It was estimated 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
.
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.
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.
Provisionally, the Gelechioidea are divided into the following family-level taxa:
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.
| image = Xylorycta assimilis.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = Adult Xylorycta assimilis
Xylorycta assimilis
Xylorycta assimilis is a moth of the Oecophoridae family. It is found in Australia....
of the Xyloryctidae, photographed in Aranda
Aranda, Australian Capital Territory
Aranda is a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen. It is the eastern most suburb in Belconnen, located at the western foot of Black Mountain. Bounded on two sides by nature park, the suburb is characterised by its bush setting...
(Australia)
Note prominent "horns" and long antenna
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
e
| regnum = Animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
ia
| phylum = Arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
a
| classis = Insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
a
| subclassis = Pterygota
Pterygota
Pterygota is a subclass of insects that includes the winged insects. It also includes insect orders that are secondarily wingless ....
| infraclassis = Neoptera
Neoptera
Neoptera is a classification group that includes almost all the winged insects, specifically those that can flex their wings over their abdomens...
| superordo = Endopterygota
Endopterygota
The Endopterygota, also known as Holometabola, are insects of the subclass Pterygota which go through distinctive larval, pupal, and adult stages. They undergo a radical metamorphosis, with the larval and adult stages differing considerably in their structure and behaviour...
| ordo = Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
| subordo = Glossata
Glossata
Glossata is the suborder of the insect order Lepidoptera that includes all the superfamilies of moths and butterflies that have a coilable proboscis. ....
| infraordo = Heteroneura
Heteroneura
Heteroneura is a natural group in the insect order Lepidoptera that comprises over 99% of all butterflies and moths. This is the sister group of the infraorder Exoporia , and is characterised by wing venation which is not similar or homoneurous in both pairs of wings....
| zoodivisio = Ditrysia
Ditrysia
The Ditrysia are a natural group or clade of insects in the Lepidopteran order containing both butterflies and moths. They are so named because the female has two distinct sexual openings: one for mating, and the other for laying eggs .About 98% of described species of Lepidoptera belong to Ditrysia...
| superfamilia = Gelechioidea
| superfamilia_authority = Fracker, 1915
| diversity_link = #Families
| diversity = 18 families
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
(but see text)
}}
Gelechioidea is the superfamily
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
of moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
s 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
Ditrysia
The Ditrysia are a natural group or clade of insects in the Lepidopteran order containing both butterflies and moths. They are so named because the female has two distinct sexual openings: one for mating, and the other for laying eggs .About 98% of described species of Lepidoptera belong to Ditrysia...
.
As of the 1990s, this superfamily was composed of about 1,425 genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
and 16,250 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. It was estimated 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
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
.
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
Segment
Segment may mean:*The divisions found in the internal section of a citrus fruit* Market segment, the smaller subgroups comprising a marketComputing*Segmentation , the division of computer memory into segments...
has a drawn-out pointed tip. Their proboscis is generally well-developed, allowing for long-lived imagines
Imago
In biology, the imago is the last stage of development of an insect, after the last ecdysis of an incomplete metamorphosis, or after emergence from the pupa where the metamorphosis is complete...
(adults); the proximal part of the proboscis is scaly. Otherwise, the Gelechioidea vary extensively in habitus
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
; 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.
Families
The phylogeny and classification of the Gelechioidea remains subject of considerable dispute. For example, the ElachistidaeElachistidae
| image = Elachista rufocinerea 2.jpg| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult Elachista rufocinerea,demonstrating its tiny size versus an aphid and a spider mite | regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda| classis = Insecta...
were at one time used as a sort of "wastebin taxon
Wastebin taxon
Wastebasket taxon is a term used in some taxonomic circles to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined by their lack of one or more distinct character states or by their not belonging to one or more other taxa...
" 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
Oecophoridae
Oecophoridae is a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. The phylogeny and systematics of gelechoid moths are still not fully resolved, and the circumscription of the Oecophoridae is strongly affected by this....
, but others are almost certainly likely families in their own right, while additional ones may well be so.
Provisionally, the Gelechioidea are divided into the following family-level taxa:
- AgonoxenidaeAgonoxenidaeThe Agonoxenidae are a family of moths only contains four named species in the whole world – all in the type genus Agonoxena – if the Blastodacnidae are considered to be a separate family...
– palm moths (including Blastodacninae, sometimes in Elachistidae) - BatrachedridaeBatrachedridaeBatrachedridae is a small family of moths. These are small, slender moths which rest with the wings wrapped tightly around the body. The taxonomy of this and related groups is often disputed...
- BlastobasidaeBlastobasidaeBlastobasidae is a family of moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. Its species can be found almost anywhere in the world, though in some places they are not native but introduced by humans. In some arrangements, these moths are included in the case-bearer family as subfamily Blastobasinae...
(sometimes in Coleophoridae) - ColeophoridaeColeophoridae| name = Case-bearers| image = Coleophoridae-01 .jpg| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult of an unidentified case-bearer species| regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda| classis = Insecta| ordo = Lepidoptera| superfamilia = Gelechioidea...
– case-bearers, case moths - CosmopterigidaeCosmopterigidaeCosmopterigidae is a family of insects in the Lepidoptera order. These are small moths with narrow wings whose tiny larvae feed internally on the leaves, seeds, stems, etc of their host plants. There are about 1,500 described species...
– cosmet moths - ElachistidaeElachistidae| image = Elachista rufocinerea 2.jpg| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult Elachista rufocinerea,demonstrating its tiny size versus an aphid and a spider mite | regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda| classis = Insecta...
– grass-miner moths - EthmiidaeEthmiidaeEthmiidae is a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. It is sometimes included in the Elachistidae or the Oecophoridae as a subfamily Ethmiinae.-Genera:...
(sometimes in Elachistidae or Oecophoridae) - GelechiidaeGelechiidaeGelechiidae is a family of moths commonly referred to as twirler moths or gelechiid moths. They are the namesake family of the huge and little-studied superfamily Gelechioidea, and the Gelechiidae's relationships with and delimitation against their relatives have been subject to considerable...
– twirler moths (including Deoclonidae) - Glyphidoceridae
- HolcopogonidaeHolcopogonidae| regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda| classis = Insecta| ordo = Lepidoptera| subordo = Glossata| infraordo = Heteroneura| zoodivisio = Ditrysia| superfamilia = Gelechioidea| familia = Holcopogonidae | familia_authority = Gozmany, 1967...
(sometimes in Oecophoridae) - LecithoceridaeLecithoceridaeLecithoceridae is a family of small moths. Although lecithocerids are found throughout the world, the great majority are found in the Indomalaya ecozone and the southern part of the Palaearctic ecozone.-Systematics:...
– long-horned moths - MetachandidaeMetachandidaeMetachandidae is a small family of moths containing a single genus, Metachanda.-Species:*Metachanda aldabrella*Metachanda anomalella*Metachanda argentinigrella*Metachanda astrapias*Metachanda autocentra...
- MomphidaeMomphidaeMomphidae is a family of moths. These tend to be rather small moths with a wingspan of up to 21 mm. The wings are held folded over the body at rest...
– mompha moths (sometimes in Coleophoridae) - OecophoridaeOecophoridaeOecophoridae is a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. The phylogeny and systematics of gelechoid moths are still not fully resolved, and the circumscription of the Oecophoridae is strongly affected by this....
– concealer moths - PterolonchidaePterolonchidaePterolonchidae is a small family of moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea.Genera of Pterolonchidae include:* Phthinostoma Meyrick, 1914* Pterolonche Zeller, 1847-References:...
(sometimes in Coleophoridae or Xyloryctidae/Oecophoridae) - Schistonoeidae – scavenger moths (sometimes in Gelechiidae)
- ScythrididaeScythrididaeScythrididae is a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. The family is sometimes included in the Xyloryctidae as a subfamily Scythridinae, but the Xyloryctidae themselves have sometimes been included in the Oecophoridae as subfamily...
– flower moths - SymmocidaeSymmocidaeThe Symmocidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. These small moths are found mainly in the Palearctic and Africa.They have traditionally been considered close relatives of the Blastobasidae, where they were sometimes included as subfamily Symmocinae...
(sometimes in Blastobasidae/Coleophoridae or Oecophoridae) - Xyloryctidae (sometimes in Oecophoridae)
The genus Aeolanthes
Aeolanthes
Aeolanthes is a genus of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea.Its relationships are enigmatic – many authors separate it in a monotypic subfamily Aeolanthinae, but there is disagreement over whether to place them in the Elachistidae, Lecithoceridae or Oecophoridae.Species include:*...
is sometimes placed in the Elachistidae, Lecithoceridae or Oecophoridae as a monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
subfamily (Aeolanthinae), but its actual relationships are not reliably determined yet.