Momphidae
Encyclopedia
Momphidae is a family of moth
s. 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. The larva
e are concealed feeders, either as leaf miner
s or within seeds or stems.
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. These tend to be rather small moths with a wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
of up to 21 mm. The wings are held folded over the body at rest. The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e are concealed feeders, either as leaf miner
Leaf miner
Leaf miner is a term used to describe the larvae of many different species of insect which live in and eat the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths , sawflies and flies , though some beetles and wasps also exhibit this behavior.Like Woodboring beetles, leaf...
s or within seeds or stems.
Former Genera
- BatrachedrodesBatrachedrodesBatrachedrodes is a genus of moths of the Batrachedridae family.-Species:*Batrachedrodes bedelliella *Batrachedrodes ephelus *Batrachedrodes lomentella...
(now in 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...
) - Batrachedropsis (synonym of CoccidiphilaCoccidiphilaCoccidiphila is a genus of moth in the family Cosmopterigidae.-Species:*Coccidiphila danilevskyi Sinev, 1997*Coccidiphila gerasimovi Danilevsky, 1950*Coccidiphila kasypinkeri Traugott-Olsen, 1986...
in 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...
) - Bifascia (now in 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...
) - CoccidiphilaCoccidiphilaCoccidiphila is a genus of moth in the family Cosmopterigidae.-Species:*Coccidiphila danilevskyi Sinev, 1997*Coccidiphila gerasimovi Danilevsky, 1950*Coccidiphila kasypinkeri Traugott-Olsen, 1986...
(now in 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...
) - Tenuipenna (synonym of PyrodercesPyrodercesPyroderces is a genus of cosmet moths . It belongs to subfamily Cosmopteriginae. Some authors include Anatrachyntis here.-References:*...
in 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...
) - UrodetaUrodetaUrodeta is a genus of moths of the Elachistidae family. The genus was originally assigned to the Momphidae family.-Species:*Urodeta falciferella...
(now in 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...
)