Family Pterophoridae: Plume moths
| Diagnosis: fw divided into two, hw into three
plumes; vhw with a row of upright black scales along Cubital stem.
Diversity: Worldwide the five subfamilies contain 73 genera and about 1,000 species; North America has three subfamilies, 20 genera and 145 species; nine species comprising 6 genera and two subfamilies are known from North Dakota. Checklist numbers: 6089- 6234. Biology: Larvae exhibit a variety of habits– borers in roots, stems, seeds or seed pods, or external leaf feeders. Adults rest with wings spread laterally but ‘rolled’ with the hw inside the fw. This position bears a resemblance to a crucifix and the moths (in Latin America) are known as Jesus Christ moths.
|
|
| Further reading:
Dugdale, John S. et al. Chapter 13. The smaller microlepidoptera grade superfamilies, pp. 217- 232 in Kristensen, Neils P. ed. 1999. Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies. Part 35, Vol. 1 in Handbook of Zoology. Maximilian Fischer ed. Walter de Gryter, New York. 491 pp. Forbes, William T. M. Family 34. Pterophoridae, pp. 639- 652 in, Ibid. 1923. Lepidoptera of New York and neighboring states. Part I. Primitive forms, Microlepidoptera, Pyraloids, Bombyces. Cornell Agric. Exp. Sta. Mem. 68: 729 pp. Scoble, Malcom J. 1992. The Lower Ditrysia, Chapter 11, pp. 225- 289 in The Lepidoptera: form, function, and diversity. Oxford Univ. press. 1982. 404 pp.
|
|
