Tineidae is a family of moths in the order Lepidoptera described by Pierre André Latreille in 1810. Collectively, they are known as fungus moths or tineid moths. The family contains considerably more than 3,000 species in more than 300 genera. Most of the tineid moths are small or medium-sized, with wings held roofwise over the body when at rest. They are particularly common in the Palaearctic, but many occur elsewhere, and some are found very widely as introduced species.

Tineids are unusual among Lepidoptera as the larvae of only a very small number of species feed on living plants, the majority feeding on fungi, lichens, and detritus. The most familiar members of the family are the clothes moths, which have adapted to feeding on stored fabrics and led to their reputation as a household pest. The most widespread of such species are the common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella), the case-bearing clothes moth (Tinea pellionella), and the carpet moth (Trichophaga tapetzella); the brown-dotted clothes moth (Niditinea fuscella) despite its name, preferentially feeds on feathers in bird nests.

One remarkable genus is Ceratophaga, whose members feed exclusively on pure keratin in the form of the horns and hooves of dead mammals and even the shells of dead tortoises.

Systematics

Subfamilies and notable genera

Some species also are listed; for others see genus accounts.

Dryadaulinae Brachydoxa Dryadaula Meyrick, 1893 Erechthiinae Anastathma Callicerastis (sometimes in Erechthias) Comodica Erechthias Meyrick, 1880 Mecomodica (sometimes in Comodica or Erechthias) Petula Phthinocola Pisistrata Pontodryas Thuriostoma Euplocaminae Euplocamus Latreille, 1809Hapsiferinae Agorarcha Briaraula Callocosmeta Chrysocrata Cimitra Colobocrossa Cubitofusa Cynomastix Dasyses Hapsifera Hapsiferona Paraptica Parochmastis Phyciodyta Pitharcha Rhinophyllis Tiquadra Trachycentra ZygosignataHarmacloninae Harmaclona Micrerethista Hieroxestinae Amphixystis Archemitra Asymplecta Crobylophanes Meyrick, 1938 Kermania Mitrogona Meyrick, 1920 Oinophila Opogona Phaeoses Phruriastis Tineomigma Gozmány, 2004 Wegneria

Meessiinae

Afrocelestis Agnathosia Agoraula Augolychna Bathroxena Clinograptis Diachorisia Doleromorphia Drimylastis Emblematodes Epactris EudarciaGalachrysis Homosetia Homostinea Hybroma Infurcitinea Ischnoscia Isocorypha Leucomele Lichenotinea Matratinea Mea MeneessiaMontetinea Nannotinea Novotinea Oenoe Oxylychna Pompostolella Protodarcia Stenoptinea Tenaga Trissochyta Unilepidotricha Xeringinia

Myrmecozelinae

Ateliotum Analytarcha Cephimallota syn. Anemallota syn. Aphimallota syn. Cephitinea Cinnerethica Contralissa Coryptilum Criticonoma Dicanica Dinica Drosica Ellochotis Endromarmata Euagophleps ExoplisisGerontha Haplotinea (tentatively placed here) Ippa Ischnuridia Janseana Machaeropteris Mesopherna Metapherna Mimoscopa Moerarchis MyrmecozelaPachyarthra Pararhodobates Phthoropoea Platysceptra Propachyarthra Rhodobates Sarocrania Scalmatica Timaea Tineovertex Tracheloteina
Nemapogoninae Archinemapogon Gaedikeia Hyladaula Nemapogon Nemaxera Neurothaumasia Peritrana Triaxomasia Triaxomera Vanna Perissomasticinae Cylicobathra Ectabola Edosa Hyperbola Neoepiscardia Perissomastix Phalloscardia Sphallesthasis Gozmány, 1959 TheatrochoraScardiinae Afroscardia Amorophaga Archyala Meyrick, 1889 Bythocrates Cnismorectis Coniastis Cranaodes Daviscardia Diataga Dorata Hilaroptera Gozmány, 1969 Leptozancla Meyrick, 1920 Montescardia Morophaga Herrich-Schäffer, 1853 Pelecystola Meyrick, 1920 Scardia Scardiella Semeoloncha Gozmány, 1968 Tinissa Walker, 1864 Trigonarchis VespitineaSetomorphinae Lindera Prosetomorpha Setomorpha Siloscinae Autochthonus Walsingham, 1891 Organodesma Gozmány, 1965 Silosca Gozmány, 1965 Stathmopolitinae Stathmopolitis Teichobiinae Dinochora Ectropoceros Psychoides

Tineinae

Acridotarsa Anomalotinea Asymphyla Ceratobia Ceratophaga Ceratuncus Crypsithyris Crypsithyrodes Eccritothrix Elatobia Enargocrasis Eremicola Graphicoptila HippiochaetesKangerosithyris Lipomerinx Metatinea Miramonopis Monopis Nearolyma Niditinea Ocnophilella Phereoeca Praeacedes Pringleophaga Proterodesma ProterospastisReisserita Stemagoris Tetrapalpus Thomintarra Tinea Tinemelitta Tineola Tineomigma Trichophaga Tryptodema Wyoma Xerantica

Genera incertae sedis

These fungus moths have not been assigned to a subfamily with a reasonable amount of certainty:

Fossil record

  • †Architinea Rebel, 1934 †Architinea balticella Rebel, 1934 †Architinea sepositella Rebel, 1934
  • †Dysmasiites Kusnezov, 1941 †Dysmasiites carpenteri Kusnezov, 1941
  • †Electromeessia Kozlov, 1987 †Electromeessia zagulijaevi Kozlov, 1987 (Baltic region, Eocene Amber)
  • †Glessoscardia Kusnezov, 1941 †Glessoscardia gerasimovi Kusnezov, 1941
  • †Martynea Kusnezov, 1941 †Martynea rebeli Kusnezov, 1941
  • †Monopibaltia Skalski, 1974 †Monopibaltia ignitella Skalski, 1974 (Baltic region, Eocene Amber)
  • †Palaeoinfurcitinea Kozlov, 1987 †Palaeoinfurcitinea rohdendorfi Kozlov, 1987 (Russia, Eocene Amber)
  • †Palaeoscardiites Kusnezov, 1941 †Palaeoscardiites mordvilkoi Kusnezov, 1941
  • †Palaeotinea Kozlov, 1987 †Palaeotinea rasnitsyni Kozlov, 1987
  • †Paratriaxomasia Jarzembowski, 1980 †Paratriaxomasia solentensis Jarzembowski, 1980
  • †Proscardiites Kusnezov, 1941 †Proscardiites martynovi Kusnezov, 1941
  • †Pseudocephitinea Kozlov, 1987 †Pseudocephitinea svetlanae Kozlov, 1987 (Russia, Eocene Amber)
  • †Scardiites Kusnezov, 1941 †Scardiites meyricki Kusnezov, 1941
  • †Simulotenia Skalski, 1977 †Simulotenia intermedia Skalski, 1977
  • †Tillyardinea Kusnezov, 1941 †Tillyardinea eocaenica Kusnezov, 1941
  • Tinea Linnaeus, 1758 †Tinea antique Rebel, 1822
  • †Tineitella T. B. Fletcher, 1940 †Tineitella crystalli Kawall, 1876 (originally in Tineites) †Tineitella sucinacius Kozlov, 1987 (originally in Tineites)
  • †Tineolamima Rebel, 1934 †Tineolamima aurella Rebel, 1934
  • †Tineosemopsis Skalski, 1974 †Tineosemopsis decurtatus Skalski, 1974
  • Darby, Gene (1958). What is a Butterfly. Chicago: Benefic Press. p.43.

Further reading

Key works

  • Dugdale, J.S., 1988. Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue and keys of family-group taxa. Fauna of New Zealand, 14: 1–262.
  • Gaedike, R. 1983. Zur Kenntnis der paläarktischen Tineiden Die Gattung Infurcitinea Spuler, 1910 (Lepidoptera). Entomologische Abhandlungen, Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde, Dresden, 46: 121–150.
  • Gaedike, R. 1985. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der paläarktischen Tineiden: GattungObesoceras Petersen, 1957 (Lepidoptera). Entomologische Abhandlungen, Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde, Dresden, 48: 167–181.
  • Hinton, H.E. 1956. The larvae of the species of Tineidae of economic importance.Bulletin of Entomological Research, 47: 251–346.
  • Leraut, P., 1985. Mise a jour de la liste des Tineides de la faune de France. Entomologica Gallica, 1(4): 319–325.
  • Petersen, G. 1957–8. Die Genitalien der paläarktischen Tineiden. Beiträge zur Entomologie, 7: 55–176, 338–380, 557–595; 8: 111–118, 398–430.
  • Robinson, G.S. 1979. Clothes-moths of the Tinea pellionella complex: a revision of the world's species (Lepidoptera: Tineidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology, 38: 57–128, figs 1–103.
  • Zagulajev, A.K. 1960. Tineidae; part 3 - subfamily Tineinae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 78: 1–267, 231 figs, 3 pls. [Translation, 1975, New Delhi.]
  • Zagulajev, A.K. 1964. Tineidae; part 2 - subfamily Nemapogoninae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 86: 1–424, 385 figs, 1 pl. [Translation, 1968, Jerusalem.]
  • Zagulajev, A.K. 1973. Tineidae; part 4 - subfamily Scardiinae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 104: 1–126, 99 figs, 2 pls.
  • Zagulajev, A.K. 1975. Tineidae; part 5 - subfamily Myrmecozelinae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 108: 1–426, 319 figs, 8 pls. [Translation, 1988, New Delhi.]
  • Zagulajev, A.K. 1979. Tineidae; part 6 - subfamily Meessiinae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 119: 1–409.
  • Zagulajev A K. 1988 English translation (original 1975). Clothes Moths (Tineidae) (English translation of Nastoyaschie Moli (Tineidae)).Akademiya Nauk SSSr, Zoologicheskii Institut, New series No. 108

External links