Choreutidae
Nettle-tap moth
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Infraorder: Heteroneura
Clade: Eulepidoptera
Clade: Ditrysia
Clade: Apoditrysia
Superfamily: Choreutoidea
Stainton, 1858
Family: Choreutidae
Stainton, 1858
Subfamilies and genera

Brenthiinae

Choreutinae

Diversity
402 species

Choreutidae, or metalmark moths, are a family of insects in the lepidopteran order whose relationships have been long disputed. It was placed previously in the superfamily Yponomeutoidea in family Glyphipterigidae and in superfamily Sesioidea. It is now considered to represent its own superfamily (Minet, 1986). The relationship of the family to the other lineages in the group "Apoditrysia" need a new assessment, especially with new molecular data.

Distribution

The moths occur worldwide, with 19 genera in three subfamilies defined by the structural characteristics of the immature stages (larvae and pupae), rather than the characters of the adults (Heppner and Duckworth, 1981; Rota, 2005).

Behaviour

These small moths often bear metallic scales[1] and are mostly day-flying (some also come to lights), with a jerky, pivoting behaviour, and may fluff up their wings at an extreme angle. Some tropical exemplars such as the genus Saptha are quite spectacular, with bright green metallic bands.[2] The members of the genus Brenthia, usually placed in their own subfamily Brenthiinae, have eyespots on the wings and have been shown to mimic jumping spiders (Rota and Wagner, 2006).

Larval hostplants

Most species skeletonize leaves often among silken webbing.[3] The foodplants of many Choreutinae occurring in the temperate region and some tropical species are known [4] being dominated by Asteraceae, Betulaceae, Boraginaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Fabaceae, Labiatae, Moraceae (mainly Ficus), Rosaceae, Sapindaceae and Urticaceae. The European nettle-tap moth (Anthophila fabriciana Linnaeus, 1767), [nb 1]is a familiar sight pirouetting around "stinging nettles" Urtica and nearby flowers while Choreutis pariana [5] skeletonizes apple leaves. The last genus has 85 species worldwide one of which, C. tigroides, is a pest of "jackfruit" (Artocarpus) (Dugdale et al., 1999).

Notes

  1. ↑ illustrated here

References

  1. ↑ "choreutid genera". The University of Connecticut Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Archived from the original on 18 February 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ↑ "Australian Moths Online :: Saptha libanota :: 1". Australian Moths Online. 15 September 2007. Archived from the original on 15 September 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  3. ↑ Prochoreutis myllerana - UKMoths
  4. ↑ "HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants". Natural History Museum. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012.
  5. ↑ "Apple Leaf Skeletonizer Choreutis pariana". UKMoths. Archived from the original on 27 July 2012.

Sources

Wikispecies has information related to Choreutidae.
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