Adelidae
| Fairy longhorn moths | |
|---|---|
| |
| Nemophora degeerella | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Adeloidea |
| Family: | Adelidae Bruand,1851 |
| Diversity[1] | |
| 2 subfamilies, 5 genera and 294 species | |
TheAdelidaeorfairy longhorn mothsare afamilyofmonotrysianmothsin thelepidopteraninfraorderHeteroneura.The family was first described byCharles Théophile Bruand d'Uzellein 1851. Mostspecieshave at least partially metallic, patterned coloration and arediurnal,sometimes swarming around the tips of branches with an undulating flight. Others arecrepuscularand have a drab coloration. Fairy longhorn moths have a wingspan of 4–28 millimeters, and males often have especially longantennae,1–3 times as long as theforewing.
They are widespread around the world and can be found over much of North America and Eurasia from April to June. About 50 species occur in Europe, of which most widely noted is thegreen longhorn(Adela reaumurella) which can sometimes reach great abundance; due toclimate change[2]its peak flying season is shifting towards spring. In general, they are more plentiful in the Northern Hemisphere, but the family occurs in theNeotropics,sub-Saharan Africa,South-East AsiaandAustraliatoo.[3]
Adelidae appear in certain plants, in which the females insert their eggs or just lay among leaf litter, and the caterpillars make a case, completing their development on the ground.[4]Fairy longhorn moths feed in sunshine onnectarfrom the flowers ofherbaceous(woody) plants.
Systematics
[edit]Fairy longhorn moths belong to thesuperfamilyAdeloidea,one of thebasal( "monotrysian") branches of the advanced mothinfraorderHeteroneura.Bylepidopteranstandards, they are thus still rather primitivemicromoths.But like other Heteroneura, they already possess theapomorphicsuckingproboscis– usually considered a defining feature of Lepidoptera, but the most ancestral moths still live on solid food which they chew.[5]
The Adelidae were previously placed as the subfamily Adelinae within the family Incurvariidae.[6]
Subfamilies
[edit]The Adelidae are usually divided into twosubfamilies,but most genera are of uncertain orbasalrelationships. Selected species are also listed:[7]
Subfamily Adelinae
- AdelaLatreille, 1796
- Adela croesella
- Adela reaumurella– green longhorn
- CauchasZeller, 1839
- NemophoraIlliger & Hoffmannsegg[8][9],1798(tentatively placed here)
- Nemophora degeerella– longhorn moth
- Nemophora metallica
- Nemophora ochsenheimerella
Subfamily Nematopogoninae
- CeromitiaZeller, 1852(tentatively placed here)
- Nematopogon
The genusTridentaformais sometimes placed among the Adelidaeincertae sedistoo; others assign it to the closely relatedProdoxidae.[5]
Footnotes
[edit]- ^"Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness – Lepidoptera"(PDF).Archived(PDF)from the original on 10 June 2014.Retrieved9 April2023.
- ^Kuchlein & Ellis (2004)
- ^Edwards (2007), FE (2009)
- ^"Adelidae. Brief summary".NBN Atlas.Archivedfrom the original on 17 May 2024.Retrieved9 April2023.
- ^abDavis (1999)
- ^Bradley, J.D.; Fletcher, D.S. (1979).A Recorder's Log Book or Label List of British Butterflies and Moths.London: Curwen Books.
- ^Wikispecies (31 October 2008), FE (2009), and see references in Savela (2003)
- ^Kozlov, M. V. (March 2016). "Taxonomic revision of Australian long-horn moths of the genus Nemophora (Lepidoptera: Adelidae)".Zootaxa.4097(1): 84–100.doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4097.1.4.PMID27394526.
- ^Kozlov, Mikhail V."Annotated checklist of the European species of Nemophora (Adelidae)"(PDF).Societas Europaea Lepidopterologica.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 8 August 2017.Retrieved2 October2018.
References
[edit]- Davis, D. R. (1999): The Monotrysian Heteroneura.In:Kristensen, N. P. (ed.):Handbuch der Zoologie/Handbook of Zoology(Volume IV – Arthropoda: Insecta. Part 35: Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies 1): 65–90. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin & New York.ISBN3-11-015704-7
- Edwards, E. D. (2007): Australian Faunal Directory –Adelidae.Version of 28 June 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
- Fauna Europaea(FE) (2009):Adelidae.Version 2.1, 22 December 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
- Kuchlein, J. H. & Ellis, W. N. (2004): Climate-induced changes in the microlepidoptera fauna of the Netherlands and the implications for nature conservation.Journal of Insect Conservation1(2): 73–80.doi:10.1023/A:1018483026265PDF fulltext
- Savela, Markku (27 December 2018)."Adelidae Bruand, 1850".Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms.Retrieved4 March2020.
External links
[edit]
- UK Adelidae key
- Kimber, Ian."Families: Adelidae".UKMoths.Retrieved4 March2020.
- McLeod, Robin (25 September 2018)."Family Adelidae - Fairy Moths".BugGuide.Retrieved4 March2020.