Pterophoridae

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Moth family containing the plume moths

title: "Pterophoridae" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["pterophoridae", "moth-families"] description: "Moth family containing the plume moths" topic_path: "general/pterophoridae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterophoridae" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Moth family containing the plume moths ::

| fossil_range = | image = White plume moth (Pterophorus pentadactyla) Transylvania.jpg | image_caption = Pterophorus pentadactyla | taxon = Pterophoridae | authority = Zeller, 1841 | type_species = Pterophorus pentadactyla | type_species_authority = Linnaeus, 1758 | subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies | subdivision = *Agdistinae

The Pterophoridae or plume moths are a family of Lepidoptera with unusually modified wings, giving them the shape of a narrow winged airplane. Though they belong to the Apoditrysia like the larger moths and the butterflies, unlike these they are tiny and were formerly included among the assemblage called "microlepidoptera".

Description and ecology

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Platyptilia_tetradactyla_pupa.jpg" caption="[[Pupa]] of ''[[Platyptilia tetradactyla]]'' ([[Pterophorinae]]: [[Platyptiliini]])"] ::

The forewings of plume moths usually consist of two curved spars with more or less bedraggled bristles trailing behind. This resembles the closely related Alucitidae (many-plumed moths) at first glance, but the latter have a greater number of symmetrical plumes. The hindwings are similarly constructed, but have three spars. This unorthodox structure does not prevent flight. A few genera have normal lepidopteran wings.

The usual resting posture is with the wings extended laterally and narrowly rolled up. Often they resemble a piece of dried grass, and may pass unnoticed by potential predators even when resting in exposed situations in daylight. Some species have larvae which are stem- or root-borers while others are leaf-browsers. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/BucksPlume.webm" caption="crab spider"] ::

Economically important pterophorids include the artichoke plume moth (Platyptilia carduidactyla), an artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) pest in California, while the geranium plume moth (Platyptilia pica) and the snapdragon plume moth (Stenoptilodes antirrhina) can cause damage to the ornamental plants garden geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum) and common snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), respectively. Other plume moths have been used as biological control agents against invasive plant species – Lantanophaga pusillidactyla against West Indian lantana (Lantana camara), Oidaematophorus beneficus against mistflower (Ageratina riparia), Hellinsia balanotes against groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia), and Wheeleria spilodactylus against horehound (Marrubium vulgare).

Evolution

A fossil species from the extant genus Merrifieldia is known from the Oligocene of France.

Taxonomy

The small group of moths in the genus Agdistopis has often been treated as a subfamily Macropiratinae within the Pterophoridae, but recent research indicates that this group should be considered a separate family. Around 1580 accepted species are currently accepted for the Pterophoridae.

The family is divided into the following subfamilies, tribes and genera, some species are also listed: Subfamily Agdistinae

Footnotes

References

  • (2002): Factors affecting the establishment of a classical biological control agent, the horehound plume moth (Wheeleria spilodactylus) in South Australia. (A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Applied and Molecular Ecology, Adelaide University, Australia) PDF fulltext
  • (2024): Catalogue of World Pterophoroidea Website
  • (1980): Geranium Plume Moth Quarantine. PDF fulltext
  • (1992): Foodplant Specificity and Biology of Oidaematophorus balanotes (Pterophoridae): A North American Moth Introduced into Australia for the Control of Baccharis halimifolia (Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 46(3), 1992: 195–202). PDF fulltext
  • (1984): Mate-locating and courtship behaviors of the artichoke plume moth, Platyptilia carduidactyla (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae) (Environmental Entomology 13.2 1984: 399–408). https://academic.oup.com/ee/article-abstract/13/2/399/2393151]

References

  1. Haynes, K.F. & Birch, M.C. (1984)
  2. MDA (1980)
  3. Palmer, W.A. & Haseler, W.H. (1992)
  4. Baker, J. (2002)
  5. L. Bigot, A. Nel, and J. Nel. 1986. Description de la première espèce fossile connue de Ptérophore (Lepidoptera Pterophoridae). ''Alexanor'' '''14''':283-288
  6. (2012-04-30). "An annotated catalog of fossil and subfossil Lepidoptera (Insecta: Holometabola) of the world". Zootaxa.
  7. Hobern, D. (2024)
  8. Gielis, Cees. (2000-05-31). "Division of the Pterophoridae into Tribes (Lepidoptera)". Quadrifina.

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