Tineidae
Encyclopedia
Tineidae is a family of moth
s in the order Lepidoptera
. Collectively, they are known as fungus moths or tineid moths. The family contains considerably more than 3,000 species in over 300 genera. Most of the tineid moths are small or medium-sized, with wings held roofwise over the body at rest. They are particularly common in the Palaearctic, but many occur elsewhere, and some are found very widely as introduced species
.
Tineids are unusual among Lepidoptera as the larva
e of only a very small number of species feed on living plant
s, the majority feeding on fungi, lichen
s and detritus
. The most familiar members of the family are the clothes moths, which have adapted to feeding on stored fabrics. The most widespread such species are the Common Clothes Moth (Tineola bisselliella), the Case-bearing Clothes Moth (Tinea pellionella) and the Carpet Moth (Trichophaga tapetzella); the Brown-dotted Clothes Moth (Niditinea fuscella) despite its name preferentially feeds on feather
s in bird nest
s.
One remarkable genus is Ceratophaga
, whose members feed exclusively on pure keratin
in the form of the horns and hooves of dead mammal
s and even the shells of dead tortoise
s.
Meessiinae
Myrmecozelinae
Tineinae
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 in the order 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...
. Collectively, they are known as fungus moths or tineid moths. The family contains considerably more than 3,000 species in over 300 genera. Most of the tineid moths are small or medium-sized, with wings held roofwise over the body at rest. They are particularly common in the Palaearctic, but many occur elsewhere, and some are found very widely as introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
.
Tineids are unusual among Lepidoptera as 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 of only a very small number of species feed on living plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s, the majority feeding on fungi, lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
s and detritus
Detritus (biology)
In biology, detritus is non-living particulate organic material . It typically includes the bodies or fragments of dead organisms as well as fecal material. Detritus is typically colonized by communities of microorganisms which act to decompose the material...
. The most familiar members of the family are the clothes moths, which have adapted to feeding on stored fabrics. The most widespread such species are the Common Clothes Moth (Tineola bisselliella), the Case-bearing Clothes Moth (Tinea pellionella) and the Carpet Moth (Trichophaga tapetzella); the Brown-dotted Clothes Moth (Niditinea fuscella) despite its name preferentially feeds on feather
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
s in bird nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
s.
One remarkable genus is Ceratophaga
Ceratophaga
Ceratophaga is a genus of moths belonging to the family Tineidae. There are currently 16 described species. Most species are found in Africa with three found in Asia and one, C. vicinella, found in the southeastern United States....
, whose members feed exclusively on pure keratin
Keratin
Keratin refers to a family of fibrous structural proteins. Keratin is the key of structural material making up the outer layer of human skin. It is also the key structural component of hair and nails...
in the form of the horns and hooves of dead mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s and even the shells of dead tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
s.
Subfamilies and notable genera
Some species are also listed; for others see genus accounts.Meessiinae
Myrmecozelinae
Tineinae
Genera incertae sedis
These fungus moths have not been assigned to a subfamily with a reasonable amount of certainty:Fossil record
- †Architinea Rebel, 1934
- †Architinea balticella Rebel, 1934
- †Architinea sepositella Rebel, 1934
- †Dysmasiites Kusnezov, 1941
- †Dysmasiites carpenteri Kusnezov, 1941
- †Electromeessia Kozlov, 1987
- †Electromeessia zagulijaevi Kozlov, 1987 (Baltic region, Eocene Amber)
- †Glessoscardia Kusnezov, 1941
- †Glessoscardia gerasimovi Kusnezov, 1941
- †Martynea Kusnezov, 1941
- †Martynea rebeli Kusnezov, 1941
- †Monopibaltia Skalski, 1974
- †Monopibaltia ignitella Skalski, 1974 (Baltic region, Eocene Amber)
- †Palaeoinfurcitinea Kozlov, 1987
- †Palaeoinfurcitinea rohdendorfi Kozlov, 1987 (Russia, Eocene Amber)
- †Palaeoscardiites Kusnezov, 1941
- †Palaeoscardiites mordvilkoi Kusnezov, 1941
- †Palaeotinea Kozlov, 1987
- †Palaeotinea rasnitsyni Kozlov, 1987
- †Paratriaxomasia Jarzembowski, 1980
- †Paratriaxomasia solentensis Jarzembowski, 1980
- †Proscardiites Kusnezov, 1941
- †Proscardiites martynovi Kusnezov, 1941
- †Pseudocephitinea Kozlov, 1987
- †Pseudocephitinea svetlanae Kozlov, 1987 (Russia, Eocene Amber)
- †Scardiites Kusnezov, 1941
- †Scardiites meyricki Kusnezov, 1941
- †Simulotenia Skalski, 1977
- †Simulotenia intermedia Skalski, 1977
- †Tillyardinea Kusnezov, 1941
- †Tillyardinea eocaenica Kusnezov, 1941
- TineaTinea (moth)Tinea is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Tineinae. As evident by its name, it is the type genus of its subfamily and family...
Linnaeus, 1758- †Tinea antique Rebel, 1822
- †Tineitella Fletcher, 1940
- †Tineitella crystalli Kawall, 1876 (originally in Tineites)
- †Tineitella sucinacius Kozlov, 1987 (originally in Tineites)
- †Tineolamima Rebel, 1934
- †Tineolamima aurella Rebel, 1934
- †Tineosemopsis Skalski, 1974
- †Tineosemopsis decurtatus Skalski, 1974
Key works
Palearctic Region- Dugdale, J.S., 1988. Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue and keys of family-group taxa. Fauna of New Zealand, 14: 1-262.
- Gaedike, R. 1983. Zur Kenntnis der paläarktischen Tineiden Die Gattung Infurcitinea Spuler, 1910 (Lepidoptera). Entomologische Abhandlungen, Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde, Dresden, 46: 121-150.
- Gaedike, R. 1985. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der paläarktischen Tineiden: Gattung Obesoceras Petersen, 1957 (Lepidoptera). Entomologische Abhandlungen, Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde, Dresden, 48: 167-181.
- Hinton, H.E. 1956. The larvae of the species of Tineidae of economic importance. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 47: 251-346.
- Leraut, P., 1985. Mise a jour de la liste des Tineides de la faune de France. Entomologica Gallica, 1(4): 319-325.
- Petersen, G. 1957-8. Die Genitalien der paläarktischen Tineiden. Beiträge zur Entomologie, 7: 55-176, 338-380, 557-595; 8: 111-118, 398-430.
- Robinson, G.S. 1979. Clothes-moths of the Tinea pellionella complex: a revision of the world's species (Lepidoptera: Tineidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) (Entomology), 38: 57-128, figs 1-103.
- Zagulajev, A.K. 1960. Tineidae; part 3 - subfamily Tineinae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 78: 1-267, 231 figs, 3 pls. [Translation, 1975, New Delhi.]
- Zagulajev, A.K. 1964. Tineidae; part 2 - subfamily Nemapogoninae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 86: 1-424, 385 figs, 1 pl. [Translation, 1968, Jerusalem.]
- Zagulajev, A.K. 1973. Tineidae; part 4 - subfamily Scardiinae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 104: 1-126, 99 figs, 2 pls.
- Zagulajev, A.K. 1975. Tineidae; part 5 - subfamily Myrmecozelinae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 108: 1-426, 319 figs, 8 pls. [Translation, 1988, New Delhi.]
- Zagulajev, A.K. 1979. Tineidae; part 6 - subfamily Meessiinae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 119: 1-409.
- Zagulajev A K. 1988 English translation (original 1975). Clothes Moths (Tineidae) (English translation of Nastoyaschie Moli (Tineidae)).Akademiya Nauk SSSr, Zoologicheskii Institut, New series No. 108