Choreutidae

Choreutidae
File:Anthophila fabriciana 20020603 05.JPG
Nettle-tap moth
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Infraorder:	Heteroneura
Clade:	Eulepidoptera
Clade:	Ditrysia
Clade:	Apoditrysia
Superfamily:	Choreutoidea Stainton, 1858
Family:	Choreutidae Stainton, 1858
Subfamilies and genera
Brenthiinae Brenthia Clemens, 1860 =Microaethia Chambers, 1878 Litobrenthia Diakonoff, 1978 Choreutinae Alasea Rota, 2008 Anthophila Haworth, [1811] Asterivora Dugdale, 1979 Caloreas Heppner, 1977 Choreutis Hübner [1825] =Choreutidia Sauber, 1902 =Hemerophila Fernald, 1900 =Allononyma Busck, 1904 =Macropia Costa, 1836 Hemerophila Hübner, [1817] ?Melanoxena Dognin, 1910 Neocaloreas Heppner, 2022 Neochoreutis Heppner, 2020 Niveas Rota, 2013 Ornarantia Rota in Rota & Wahlberg, 2012 Peotyle Diakonoff, 1978 Prochoreutis Diakonoff & Heppner, 1980 Protochoreutis Heppner, 2019 Pseudocaloreas Heppner, 2021 Pseudotebenna Heppner, 2023 Rhobonda Walker, 1863 Saptha Walker, 1864 =Badera Walker, 1866 =Chordates Snellen, 1877 Tebenna Billberg, 1820 =Porpe Hübner, 1825 Telosphrantis Meyrick, 1932 Tortyra Walker, 1863 =Choregia Zeller, 1877 =Walsinghamia Riley, 1889 Trichocirca Meyrick, 1920 Zodia Heppner, 1979
Diversity
402 species

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" need a new assessment, especially with new molecular data.

Distribution

The moths occur worldwide, with 19 genera in three subfamilies defined by the structural characteristics of the immature stages (larvae and pupae), rather than the characters of the adults (Heppner and Duckworth, 1981; Rota, 2005).

Behaviour

These small moths often bear metallic scales and are mostly day-flying (some also come to lights), with a jerky, pivoting behaviour, and may fluff up their wings at an extreme angle. Some tropical exemplars such as the genus Saptha are quite spectacular, with bright green metallic bands. The members of the genus Brenthia, usually placed in their own subfamily Brenthiinae, have eyespots on the wings and have been shown to mimic jumping spiders (Rota and Wagner, 2006).

Larval hostplants

Most species skeletonize leaves often among silken webbing. The foodplants of many Choreutinae occurring in the temperate region and some tropical species are known being dominated by Asteraceae, Betulaceae, Boraginaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Fabaceae, Labiatae, Moraceae (mainly Ficus), Rosaceae, Sapindaceae and Urticaceae. The European nettle-tap moth (Anthophila fabriciana Linnaeus, 1767),is a familiar sight pirouetting around "stinging nettles" Urtica and nearby flowers while Choreutis pariana skeletonizes apple leaves. The last genus has 85 species worldwide one of which, C. tigroides, is a pest of "jackfruit" (Artocarpus) (Dugdale et al., 1999).

Sources

• Dugdale, J.S., Kristensen, N.P., Robinson, G.S. and Scoble, M.J. (1999) [1998]. The smaller microlepidoptera grade superfamilies, Ch.13., pp. 217–232 in Kristensen, N.P. (Ed.). Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies. Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbuch der Zoologie. Eine Naturgeschichte der Stämme des Tierreiches / Handbook of Zoology. A Natural History of the phyla of the Animal Kingdom. Band / Volume IV Arthropoda: Insecta Teilband / Part 35: 491 pp. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York.