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, most plume moths are small and the group is often included in the assemblage called "microlepidoptera".

Description and ecology

left|thumb|[[Pupa of Platyptilia tetradactyla (Pterophorinae: Platyptiliini)]]

The forewings of plume moths are usually divided for part of their length into two or three segments with variably feathered edges, particularly along the hind margin. Hindwings are generally divided into three segments. This unorthodox structure does not prevent flight. Genera in the subfamiles Agdistinae and Ochyroticinae have narrow but undivided wings like most Lepidoptera.

Moths in the family Alucitidae (many-plumed moths) have wings that are similarly divided, but most moths in this family have six segments in each wing. Moths in the genus Agdistopis superficially resemble the plume moth genus Agdistis and have previously been treated as part of the superfamily Pterophoroidea. However, recent work has demonstrated that these insects are more closely related to the Hybaleoidea or Copromorphoidea.

A synapomorphic character for all Pterophoridae is the presence of two rows of club-shaped scales on the undersides of the hindwings of both male and female insects (along veins m3 and cu1). The purpose of these scales is still unclear.

thumb|Plume moth venous scales

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.

thumb|thumbtime=0|[[Geina buscki|Bucks Plume avoids a 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:<!-- list species here only if they have no genus article. You can add species that have no article yet, but these should be outcommented for layout reasons -->

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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
  • (2026): 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]

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  • British Insects: the Families of Lepidoptera
  • http://www.plumemoth.com/ D.L. Matthews, PhD. Florida Museum
  • A slow-motion video of a flying plume moth, taken by three fast cameras https://www.beatus-lab.org/fun-stuff