Heteroneura

• Overview
• Photos
• Taxonomy
• Families
• Sources

Overview

Photos

Taxonomy

Families

Acrolepiidae

The Acrolepiidae family of moths are also known as False Diamondback moths. [more]

Acrolophidae

[more]

Adelidae

The "fairy long horn moths" are a family of primitive monotrysian moths in the order Lepidoptera. Most species of 'Adelidae are day-flying, sometimes swarming around the tips of branches with an undulating flight, with metallic patterns. Fairy moths have a wingspan of 4-28 millimeters and males often have especially long antennae 1-3 times as long as the forewing. They are widespread across the World and can be found over much of North America and Eurasia from April to June. 50 species occur in Europe[1] of which the most often noticed is the "Green Oak Longhorn" Adela reaumurella which can sometimes reach great abundance, and this peak is receding due to climate change (Kuchlein and Ellis, 2004). [more]

Agonoxenidae

The Agonoxenidae family of moths only contains four named species in the whole world (if, following Nielsen et al (1996) the Blastodacnidae are considered to be a separate family) : [more]

Alucitidae

The Alucitidae or many-plumed moths are a family of moths with unusually modified wings. This is a small family, with about 130 species having been described to date; sometimes the roughly 20 Tineodidae species are merged herein, making the Alucitoidea superfamily monotypic. [more]

Amphitheridae

[more]

Anthelidae

Anthelidae is a family of Australian lappet moths in the Lepidoptera order. [more]

Apatelodidae

[more]

Apoprogonidae

[more]

Arctiidae

Arctiidae is a large and diverse family of moths with around 11,000 species found all over the world, with 6000 Neotropical species (Scoble 1995). This family includes the groups commonly known as tiger moths (or tigers), which usually have bright colors, footmen (which are usually much drabber), lichen moths and wasp moths. Many species have 'hairy' caterpillars which are popularly known as woolly bears or woolly worms. The scientific name refers to this (Gk. a??t?? = a bear). Caterpillars may also go by the name 'tussock moths' (more usually this refers to Lymantriidae, however). [more]

Argyresthiidae

Argyresthia is a genus of butterfly in the Argyresthiidae family. [more]

Arrhenophanidae

[more]

Attevidae

[more]

Axiidae

Two separate animal families have been recognized with the name Axiidae: [more]

Blastobasidae

Blastobasidae is a family of moths with species found in all parts of the world. These are generally small, slender moths with muted colors (Edward Meyrick described the group as "obscure and dull colored moths, decidedly the least attractive family of Lepidoptera"). The larvae feed openly, usually on dead organic matter. Some species are pests of stored foodstuffs. [more]

Bombycidae

Bombycidae is a family of moths. The best-known species is Bombyx mori (Linnaeus) or silkworm, native to northern China and domesticated for millennia. Another well known species is Bombyx mandarina, also native to Asia. [more]

Brachodidae

[more]

Brahmaeidae

Brahmaeidae is a family of insects in the Lepidoptera order, commonly known as brahmin moths. [more]

Bucculatrigidae

[more]

Callidulidae

[more]

Carposinidae

Carposinidae, the "fruitworm moths" is a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. These moths are narrower winged than Copromorphidae, with less rounded forewing tips. Males often have conspicuous patches of scales on either surface (Dugdale et al., 1999). The mouthparts are quite diagnostic, usually with prominent, upcurved "labial palps", the third segment long (especially in females), and the second segment covered in large scales. Unlike Copromorphidae, the "M2" and sometimes "M1" vein on the hindwings is absent. The relationship of Carposinidae relative to Copromorphidae needs further investigation. It is considered possible that the family is artificial, being nested within Copromorphidae (Dugdale et al., 1999). The Palearctic species have been revised by Diakonoff (1989). [more]

Carthaeidae

[more]

Castniidae

Castniidae, or castniid moths, is a small family of moths with less than 200 species: The majority are Neotropical with some in Australia and a few in south-east Asia. These are medium-sized to very large moths, usually with drab, cryptically-marked forewings and brightly colored hindwings. They have clubbed antennae and are day-flying, and are often mistaken for butterflies. Indeed some previous classification systems placed this family within the butterflies or skippers. The Neotropical species are commonly known as giant butterfly-moths, the Australian and Asian species as sun moths. The larvae are internal feeders, often on roots of epiphytes or on monocotyledons (Edwards et al., 1999: 184-188). [more]

Cecidosidae

[more]

Cercophanidae

[more]

Choreutidae

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" [1] need a new assessment, especially with new molecular data. [more]

Chrysopolomidae

[more]

Coleophoridae

Coleophoridae is a family of moths with about 1050 species, the vast majority (about 1000) belonging to the huge genus Coleophora (numerous splits have been proposed for this immense genus but have not been widely accepted - most of the genus names listed right refer to these proposed new genera). The family is represented on all continents but the majority are found in temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. [more]

Copromorphidae

Copromorphidae, the "tropical fruitworm moths" is a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. These moths have broad, rounded forewings, and well-camouflaged scale patterns. Unlike Carposinidae the mouthparts include "labial palps" with the second rather than third segment the longest. The position of the enigmatic New Zealand genus Isonomeutis in this family in uncertain, as it lacks the flimsy cuticle of the pupa characteristic of other Copromorphoidea. With other unusual structural characteristics of the caterpillar and adult, it could represent the sister lineage of all other extant members of this superfamily (Dugdale et al., 1999). The genus Sisyroxena from Madagascar is also notable for its unusual venation and wing scale sockets (Dugdale et al., 1999). [more]

Cosmopterigidae

Cosmopterigidae 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. [more]

Cossidae

Cossidae (also cossid moths or carpenter moths) is a worldwide family of mostly large moths. It includes many species with large caterpillars and moths with a wingspan from 9 to 24 centimetres (6¾ in). [more]

Cyclidiidae

Cyclidiinae is a small subfamily of the Drepanidae moths. They occur in Southeast Asia. Their caterpillars feed on Alangium (Alangiaceae). In some treatments, they are raised to full family status. [more]

Cyclotornidae

[more]

Dalceridae

Dalceridae is a small family of moths with 84 known species. They are mostly found in the Neotropical region with a few reaching the far south of the Nearctic region. [more]

Dioptidae

[more]

Douglasiidae

The small Lepidopteran family Douglasiidae includes several species of moths whose adults are collectively called Douglas moths and whose larvae are leaf miners. The largest genus in the family is Tinagma. [more]

Drepanidae

The Drepanidae are a family of moths with about 1000^{[verification needed]} species recorded worldwide. They are generally divided in three subfamilies (Minet and Scoble, 1999) which share the same type of hearing organ. Thyatirinae, previously often placed in their own family, bear a superficial resemblance to Noctuidae. Many species in this group have a distinctively hook-shaped apex to the forewing, leading to their common name of hook-tips. [more]

Dudgeoneidae

[more]

Elachistidae

The Elachistidae are a family of Lepidoptera (moths). [more]

Endromidae

[more]

Epermeniidae

[more]

Epicopeiidae

Epicopeiidae is a family of insects in the Lepidoptera order. They are known as Oriental Swallowtail Moths as they resemble Oriental Swallowtail butterflies so well. [more]

Epiplemidae

[more]

Epipyropidae

Epipyropidae is a small family of insects in the Lepidoptera order. This family and the closely-related Cyclotornidae are unique among the Lepidoptera in that the larvae are ectoparasites, the hosts typically being fulgoroid planthoppers, thus the common name Planthopper Parasite Moths. [more]

Eriocottidae

[more]

Eupterotidae

Eupterotidae is a family of insects in the Lepidoptera order. [more]

Gelechiidae

The Gelechiidae, Gelechiid moths, are a family of Lepidoptera (moths). These are generally very small moths with narrow, fringed wings. The larvae of most species feed internally on various parts of their host plants, sometimes causing galls. [more]

Geometridae

The geometer moths or Geometridae are a family of the order Lepidoptera. A very large family with around 26,000 species of moths described (over 300 of which occur in the British Isles), it notably includes the peppered moth, Biston betularia. [more]

Glyphipterigidae

Glyphipterigidae is a family of small moths commonly known as sedge moths as the larvae of many species feed on sedges and rushes. [more]

Gracillariidae

[more]

Hedylidae

[more]

Heliodinidae

Heliodinidae is a family of small moths with slender bodies and narrow wings. Members of this family are found in all parts of the world. [more]

Heliozelidae

A family of primitive monotrysian moths in the order Lepidoptera. Heliozelidae are small, metallic day-flying moths with shiny smooth heads, In Europe the small adult moths (genera Antispila and Heliozela) are seldom noticed as they fly quite early in the Spring. The larvae are leaf miners[1] and the vacated leaf mines are distinctive because the larva leaves a large hole at the end. [more]

Hesperiidae

A skipper is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae (superfamily Hesperioidea), named after their quick, darting flight habits. [more]

Heterogynidae

[more]

Himantopteridae

Himantopteridae is a family of insects in the Lepidoptera order. [more]

Hyblaeidae

[more]

Immidae

Immoidea is a superfamily of pantropical moths containing only the family Immidae comprising ten genera with around 250 species, over half of them in the genus Imma. Many are brightly colored and diurnal. The position of this group is currently uncertain within the group Obtectomera[1]. The larvae feed on the leaves of dicotyledons and conifers including Podocarpus (Dugdale et al. 1999). [more]

Incurvariidae

Incurvariidae is a family of small primitive monotrysian moths in the order Lepidoptera. There are twelve genera recognised (Davis, 1999). Many species are leaf miners and much is known of their hostplants. The most familiar species in Europe are perhaps Incurvaria masculella and Phylloporia bistrigella. The narrow wings are held tightly along the body at rest and some species have very long antennae. [more]

Lacturidae

Lacturidae is a family of insects in the Lepidoptera order. [more]

Lasiocampidae

The Lasiocampidae family of moths are also known as eggars, snout moths or lappet moths. There are over 2000 species worldwide, and probably not all have been named or studied. [more]

Lecithoceridae

Lecithoceridae is a family of small moths. Although lecithocerids are found throughout the world, the great majority are found in the Indomalaya ecozone and the southern part of the Palaearctic ecozone. [more]

Lemoniidae

[more]

Libytheidae

[more]

Limacodidae

Limacodidae is a family of moths in the superfamily Zygaenoidea or the Cossoidea (Scoble, 1992); the placement is in dispute. They are often called slug moths because their caterpillars bear a distant resemblance to slugs. They are also called cup moths because of the shape of their cocoons. [more]

Lycaenidae

The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 40% of the known butterfly species. [more]

Lymantriidae

Lymantriidae or Liparidae is a family of moths with about 350 known genera and over 2,500 known species found all over the world, in every continent except Antarctica. They are particularly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, India, Southeast Asia and South America; one estimate lists 258 species in Madagascar alone (Schaefer, 1989). Apart from oceanic islands, notable places that do not host Lymantriids include New Zealand, the Antilles, and New Caledonia (Schaefer , 1989). [more]

Lyonetiidae

Lyonetiidae is a family of moths. These are small, slender moths, the wingspan rarely exceeding 1 cm. The very narrow forewings, held folded backwards covering the hindwings and abdomen, often have pointed apices noticeably up- or down-turned. The larvae are leaf miners. [more]

Megalopygidae

Megalopygidae is the technical name of a group of insect species known generally as crinkled flannel moths, or simply Flannel Moths. They occur in North America (11 species) and the New World tropics. The larvae are called Puss Caterpillars, and with their long hairs, resemble cotton balls. They have mildly venomous spines that can cause a painful sting and inflammation lasting for several days. In some cases, the sting may cause headache, nausea, and shock-like symptoms. Perhaps the most notorious for stinging is the caterpillar of Megalopyge opercularis. [more]

Metarbelidae

[more]

Mimallonidae

[more]

Momphidae

Momphidae is a family of moths. 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 larvae are concealed feeders, either as leaf miners or within seeds or stems. [more]

Nepticulidae

Nepticulidae is a family of very small moths with a worldwide distribution. They are characterised by eyecaps over the eyes (see also Opostegidae, Bucculatricidae, Lyonetiidae). These "Pigmy moths" include the smallest of all living moths, with a wingspan that can be as little as 3 mm. in the case of the European Pigmy Sorrel Moth[1], but more usually 3.5-10 mm. The wings of adult moths are narrow and lanceolate, sometimes with metallic markings, and with the venation very simplified compared to most other moths. [more]

Noctuidae

The Noctuidae or Owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species, possibly 100,000 species altogether, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera. [more]

Notodontidae

Notodontidae is a family of moths with approximately 3,500 known species. Moths of this family are found in all parts of the world, but they are most concentrated in tropical areas, especially in the New World (Miller, 1992). The Thaumetopoeidae (processionary moths) are sometimes included here as a subfamily. [more]

Nymphalidae

The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed in all parts of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Many species are brightly colored and they include popular species such as the emperor, admirals, tortoiseshells and fritillaries. However, the underwings are dull and in some species look remarkably like dead leaves, or are much paler, producing a cryptic effect that helps the butterfly disappear into its surroundings. [more]

Ochsenheimeriidae

[more]

Oecophoridae

The Oecophoridae are a family of Lepidoptera (moths). [more]

Opostegidae

Opostegidae or "white eyecap moths" is a family of insects in the Lepidoptera order that is characterised by particularly large eyecaps over the compound eyes (see also Nepticulidae, Bucculatricidae, Lyonetiidae). These small, whitish moths are probably miners in plant stems, in Europe such as those of Lycopus, Mentha and Rumex [1] , but their biology is mostly poorly known. The subfamily Oposteginae comprises 87 described species and Opostegoidinae includes 15 described species (Davis, 1989, 1999) . [more]

Oxychirotidae

[more]

Oxytenidae

[more]

Palaephatidae

[more]

Papilionidae

Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies which form the family Papilionidae. There are at least 550 species, and though the majority are tropical, members of the family are found on all continents except Antarctica. The family includes the largest butterflies in the world, the birdwing butterflies of Australia (genus Ornithoptera). [more]

Pieridae

The Pieridae are a large family of butterflies. There are about 700 species mostly in tropical Africa and Asia. They are characterised by mainly white or yellow coloration, often with black spots. The sexes usually differ, often in the pattern or number of the black markings. [more]

Plutellidae

Yponomeutoidea is the superfamily of Ermine moths and relatives. [more]

Prodoxidae

Prodoxidae is a family of primitive monotrysian Lepidoptera. Some of these small-to-medium sized moths are day flying, like Lampronia capitella, known to European gardeners as the "Currant Shoot Borer"[1]. Others occur in Africa and Asia.Tetragma gei feeds on Mountain Avens Geum triflorum in USA. Greya politella lay eggs in the flowers of Saxifragaceae there. Some other members of this family, the mostly nocturnal. The last five genera listed here are confined to dry areas of the United States. Prodoxoides asymmetra occurs in Chile and Argentina (Nielsen and Davis, 1985), but all other prodoxid moth genera have a northern distribution. [more]

Psychidae

The Psychidae or Bagworms are a family of the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). The larvae of the Psychidae construct cases out of silk and environmental materials such as sand, soil, lichen, or plant materials. These cases are attached to rocks, trees or fences while resting or during their pupa stage, but are otherwise mobile. The larvae of some species eat lichen, while others prefer green leaves. In many species, the adult females lack wings and are therefore difficult to identify accurately. [more]

Pterolonchidae

[more]

Pterophoridae

The Pterophoridae or plume-moths are a family of Lepidoptera with unusually modified wings. The fore-wings consist of (usually) two curved spars with more or less bedraggled bristles trailing behind (compare the greater number of symmetrical plumes of the Alucitidae). The hind wings are similarly constructed on three spars. A few genera have normal lepidopteran wings. [more]

Pterothysanidae

[more]

Pyralidae

The Pyralidae or snout moths are a family of Lepidoptera. [more]

Ratardidae

[more]

Riodinidae

The Riodinidae (or metalmarks) are a family of butterflies. The common name "metalmarks" refers to the small metallic-looking spots commonly found on their wings. There are approximately 1,000 species of metalmark butterflies in the world. The family is represented both in the New World and the Old World. [more]

Saturniidae

The Saturniidae, collectively known as saturniids, are among the largest and most spectacular of the Lepidoptera, with an estimated 1,300 to 1,500 different described species existing worldwide (Grimaldi and Engel, 2005). The Saturniidae family includes the giant silkmoths, royal moths, and emperor moths. [more]

Schreckensteiniidae

Schreckensteinioidea is a superfamily in the insect order Lepidoptera containing a single family, Schreckensteiniidae, or "bristle-legged moths", because of the stout spines on the hindlegs. The relationships of this family within the group Apoditrysia[1] are currently uncertain. One of the species, the Blackberry Skeletonizer Schreckensteinia festaliella, is widespread and common across Europe and has been introduced as a biological control to Hawaii, whilst three species of Corsocasis occur in South East Asia (Dugdale et al., 1999). [more]

Scythrididae

Gelechioidea is the superfamily of moths that includes case bearers and relatives. Gelechioidea is a large and poorly understood superfamily belonging to the order Lepidoptera, (Moths and Butterflies). Gelechioidea is composed of approximately 1,425 genera and 16,250 species (Hodges, 1998). Hodges estimates that only 25% of the species diversity of Gelechioidea has been described. If this estimate is accurate, Gelechioidea will be one of the largest superfamilies of Lepidoptera. [more]

Sematuridae

[more]

Sesiidae

The Sesiidae or clearwing moths are a family of the Lepidoptera in which the wings have hardly any of the normal lepidopteran scales, leaving them transparent. The bodies are generally striped with yellow, sometimes very brightly, and they have simple antennae. The general appearance is sufficiently similar to a wasp or hornet to make it likely that the moths gain a reduction in predation by Batesian mimicry. This enables them to be active in daylight. They are commonly collected using pheromone lures. [more]

Somabrachyidae

Somabrachyidae is a family of moth in the order Lepidoptera. [more]

Sphingidae

Sphingidae is a family of moths (Lepidoptera), commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms, that includes about 1,200 species (Grimaldi & Engel, 2005). It is best represented in the tropics but there are species in every region (Scoble, 1995). They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid, sustained flying ability (Scoble, 1995). The narrow wings and streamlined abdomen are clearly adaptations for rapid flight. [more]

Thyatiridae

[more]

Thyretidae

[more]

Thyrididae

Thyrididae is the picture-winged leaf moths family of moths in the Lepidoptera order. They alone make up the Thyridoidea superfamily, which is sometimes included in the Pyraloidea. [more]

Tineidae

Tineidae is a family of moths in the order Lepidoptera. The family contains approximately 3000 species. Most of the tineid moths are small or medium-sized, with wings held roofwise over the body at rest. [more]

Tineodidae

[more]

Tischeriidae

Tischerioidea is the superfamily of "trumpet" leaf miner moths. This is one candidate as the sister group (see also Palaephatoidea) of the bulk of Lepidoptera, the Ditrysia (Davis, 1999; Wiegmann et al., 2002), and they have a monotrysian type of female reproductive system. The superfamily contains just one family and traditionally one genus, Tischeria, but currently three genera are recognised, widespread across the World including South America (Davis, 1986), except for Australasia (Puplesis and Diskus, 2003). These small moths are leaf-miners[1] in the caterpillar stage, feeding mainly on Fagaceae (Tischeria and Coptotriche), Asteraceae and Malvaceae (Astrotischeria), and some also on Rhamnaceae, Tiliaceae and Rosaceae[2][3]. [more]

Tortricidae

Tortricidae is a family of moths in the order Lepidoptera. They are commonly known as tortrix moths. It is a large family with over 6,300 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea. Many of these are economically important pests. Olethreutidae is a junior synonym. The typical resting posture is with the wings folded back producing a rather rounded profile. [more]

Uraniidae

The Uraniidae are a family of moths containing four subfamilies, ninety genera, and roughly seven-hundred species. Some tropical species are known for their bright, butterfly-like colors and are called sunset moths (for example Chrysiridia rhipheus). Such moths are apparently toxic and the bright colors are a warning to predators. [more]

Urodidae

[more]

Yponomeutidae

The family Yponomeutidae are known as the ermine moths, with several hundred species, most of them in the tropics. The larvae tend to form communal webs, and some are minor pests in agriculture, forestry, and horticulture. Some of the adults are very attractive. Adult moths are minor pollinators. [more]

Zygaenidae

The Zygaenidae are a family of Lepidoptera (moths) typically day-flying with a slow fluttering flight, and with rather clubbed antennae. They generally have a metallic sheen and often prominent spots of red or yellow. The bright colors are a warning to predators that the moths are distasteful - they contain hydrogen cyanide throughout all stages of their life-cycle. Unlike most insects with such toxins, they manufacture these themselves rather than obtaining them from host plants (Scoble 1992). They are known to have mimicry complexes based on these toxins (Naumann et al., 1999). [more]

At least 54 species and subspecies belong to the Family Zygaenidae.

More info about the Family Zygaenidae may be found here.

Sources

• The text on this page is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It includes material from Wikipedia retrieved Thursday, June 19, 2008.
• The GMapImageCutter is used under license from the UCL Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis.
• The technology underlying this page, including the Image Browser and controls behind Keep Exploring, is owned by the BayScience Foundation. All rights are reserved.

©2004-2008 the BayScience Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.