Everything about Microlepidoptera totally explained
Microlepidoptera is an artificial (for example, unranked and not
monophyletic) grouping of
moth families, commonly known as the 'smaller moths' (
Micro,
lepidoptera). Efforts to stabilize the term have usually proven inadequate.
Vernacular usage divides the lepidoptera simply into smaller and larger or into more-primitive and less-primitive groups: Microlepidoptera and Macrolepidoptera respectively. Intuitively, the "micros" are any lepidopteran not currently placed in the
Macrolepidoptera. This
paraphyletic assemblage however includes also the
superfamilies Zygaenoidea,
Sesioidea and
Cossoidea that would in common parlance normally be lumped with the "macros". Sometimes what may be referred to is a more restricted group, the non-
ditrysian moths, but not even all of these are small. For example, the
Hepialidae or "swift moths" (up to 25 cm. wingspan) fall quite
basally in the lepidopteran "tree of life". The recently discovered primitive superfamily
Andesianoidea is another case in point: lurking within the
Cossidae until 2001, these moths have up to an order of magnitude greater wingspan (5.5. cm.) than most previously known
monotrysian "micros". Whilst the smaller moths are usually also more seldom noticed, a more expansive "non-
macrolepidopteran" concept of the Microlepidoptera would include about 37 out of the approximately 47 superfamilies. Whilst usually less popular, micros are thus more important in the sense that they include a much wider span of the Tree of Life (for example,
phylogenetic diversity). Whereas they include no
butterflies, micros do also include a surprising number of dayflying groups, and the advent of online identification resources in many countries (for example "UK moths")
(External Link
) combined with the widespread use of digital
macrophotography is making them much easier to identify,
Life style
Microlepidoptera can be found in a broad variety of habitats and
ecological niches worldwide, both
terrestrial and
freshwater aquatic (for example
Acentropinae). They have a wide variety of feeding habits in both
larval and
adult life stages.
Caterpillars feed a wide variety of plant tissue and across a wide spectrum of plant groups from
liverworts to
angiosperms. They are either external feeders ("exophagous") or more usually feed internally ("endophagous"), typically as
miners or tunnellers, but some feed on
fungi,
scavenge on dead animals, even live snails (
Hyposmocoma molluscivora) are
parasitoids usually of other
insects (some
Zygaenoidea) or are
detritivores. Adult moths feed with
mandibles on spores and pollen (
Micropterigidae) on dew (for example
Eriocraniidae), with their
proboscises on nectar (many groups for example
Choreutidae) or are simply non-feeding with
mouthparts reduced or absent. Many smaller moths are considered economic
pests, causing damage to plants as well as fabrics and other man-made goods. Commonly noticed "micros" include the
plume moth and the
clothes moth.
Main groups
The list below is ordered initially in approximate order of species
diversity and
ecological abundance. The first four superfamilies listed here may comprise 90% of species in a sample of smaller moths and the listed characters may be of some assistance to sort these out, particularly the form of the
labial palp and
scaling of the proboscis (Robinson et al. 2001)
1.
Curved horn moths, twirler moths, case-bearers and allies. 16,250 spp.
- Gelechioidea Head smooth-scaled, labial palps usually are slender, recurved, with the terminal segment long and pointed; the long proboscis bears scales on basal half. Resting posture very varied.
2.
Pyralids, snout moths and grass moths. 16,000 spp.
Pyraloidea Head rough-scaled, proboscis scaled, tympanal organs on abdomen; labial palps usually not recurved, terminal segment usually blunt. Hindwing veins ("Sc" + "R1") and "Rs" are close or fused in the middle of the wing; resting posture usually either with wings tightly rolled or and held quite flat to surface in triangular shape and with labial palps often projecting forward, giving Concorde-like appearance; antennae often swept back parallel together over body
3. Tortrix moths, leaf-roller moths, bell moths, codling moths and allies. 6,200 spp.
Tortricidae Head rough-scaled, labial palps with short blunt apical segment, basal half of proboscis not scaled; wings held over back in tent-like or flattened position; forewing costa often quite strongly convex or sinuate in many Tortricinae giving bell-like shape
4. Clothes moths, bagworms and allies. 4,200 spp.
Tineoidea Head often with tufty erect scales; labial palps usually have bristles on middle segment and terminal segment is long; wings usually held over back in tent-like position and head close to surface; tineids often run fast
5,6. Leaf miner moths. 3,200 spp.
Gracillarioidea 2,300 spp.
Nepticuloidea 900 spp. Eyecap moths
7. Ermine moths, webworm moths, yucca moths and allies. 1,500 spp.
Yponomeutoidea
8,9. Plume moths. 1,160 spp.
Pterophoridae Plume moths. 1,000 spp.
Alucitidae Many-plumed moths. 160 spp.
10. Tropical leaf moths or picture-winged moths. >1000 spp.
Thyrididae
Small mainly dayflying moths:
11. Fairy moths, longhorn moths and allies. 600 spp.
Incurvarioidea
12. Metalmark moths. 402 spp.
Choreutidae
13. Mandibulate archaic moths. 180 spp.
Micropterigidae
14. Sparkling archaic sun moths or spring jewel moths. 24 spp.
Eriocraniidae
Superfamilies less likely to be encountered:
15. Tropical fruitworm moths. 318 spp.
Copromorphoidea
16. Fringe tufted moths. 83 spp.
Epermeniidae
17. Blackberry leaf skeletonizer and allies. 8 spp.
Schreckensteiniidae
18. Immid moths. 250 spp.
Immidae
19. False burnet moths. 60 spp.
Urodidae
20. Tropical teak moths. 20 spp.
Hyblaeidae
21. Whalley's Malagasy moths. 2 spp.
Whalleyanidae
More rarely encountered "primitive" families:
22. Kauri pine moths. 2 spp.
Agathiphagidae
22. Southern beech moths or Valdivian archaic moths. 9 spp.
Heterobathmiidae
23. Archaic sun moths. 4 spp.
Acanthopteroctetidae
24. Australian archaic sun moths. 6 spp.
Lophocoronidae
25. Archaic bell moths. 12 spp.
Neopseustidae
26. New Zealand endemic moths. 7 spp.
Mnesarchaeidae
27. Gondwanaland moths. 60 spp.
Palaephatidae
28. Trumpet leaf miner moths. 107 spp.
Tischeriidae
29. Simaethistid moths. 4 spp.
Simaethistidae
30. Galacticoid moths or webworm moths. 17 spp.
Galacticidae
Larger "micros":
31. Swift moths and allies. 544 spp.
Hepialoidea
Unassigned to superfamily:
32. Meyrick's Mystic Moth. 1 sp.
Prodidactidae
Large monotrysian micros:
33. Andean endemic moths. 3 spp.
Andesianidae
Large ditrysian micros:
34. Burnet moths, slug moths, hag moths, glass moths and allies. 2,600 spp.
Zygaenoidea
35. Clearwing moths, castniid moths, little bear moths and allies. 1,300 spp.
Sesioidea
36, 37. Goat or carpenter moths and allies. 676 spp.
Cossoidea
Sources
Robinson, G.S., Tuck, K.R., Shaffer, M. and Cook, K. (1994). The smaller moths of South-East Asia. Malaysian Nature Society, Kuala Lumpur.
Common Name Index
Further Information
Get more info on 'Microlepidoptera'.
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