Brachmiinae
Deoclonidae
Gelechiadae (lapsus)
Physoptilinae
(but see text)
Larva of Chrysoesthia sexguttella in a mine in Chenopodium albumDichomeris inserrata
The Gelechiidae are a family of moths commonly referred to as twirler moths or gelechiid moths. They are the namesake family of the huge and little-studied superfamily Gelechioidea, and the family's taxonomy has been subject to considerable dispute. These are generally very small moths with narrow, fringed wings. The larvae of most species feed internally on various parts of their host plants, sometimes causing galls. Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga) is a host plant common to many species of the family, particularly of the genus Chionodes, which as a result is more diverse in North America than usual for Gelechioidea.[1]
By the late 20th century, over 900[2] genera with altogether more than 4,500 species were placed here, with about 650 genera known from North America alone. While these figures are certainly outdated, due to the many revisions to superfamily Gelechioidea and new descriptions of twirler moths, they still serve to show the enormous biodiversity contained in this important family.
Being abundant, fecund plant-eaters, many species are agricultural pests, including:
Tecia solanivora (Povolny, 1973) – Guatemalan potato moth, Central American potato tuber moth
Tuta absoluta – tomato leafminer, South American tomato moth
The voracious habits of their larvae make twirler moths suitable for biological control of invasive plants. The spotted knapweed seedhead moth (Metzneria paucipunctella), for example, is used to control spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) in North America.
^Donald J. Borror, Charles A. Triplehorn & Norman F. Johnson (1989). An Introduction to the Study of Insects (6th ed.). Fort Worth, Texas: Saunders College. p. 800. ISBN 0-03-025397-7.
^The Natural History Museum of London website offers details on 911 genera belonging to the family Gelechiidae. The list of these is accessible here Archived 2024-05-17 at the Wayback Machine
The Gelechiidae are a family of moths commonly referred to as twirler moths or gelechiid moths. They are the namesake family of the huge and little-studied...
(typically Tornatellides). Larvae of some species of moths in the Tineidae, Gelechiidae, and Noctuidae, besides others, feed on detritus, or dead organic material...
Hypatima issikiana is a moth in the family Gelechiidae. It was described by Kyu-Tek Park in 1995.[failed verification] It is found in Taiwan. Beccaloni...
Ephysteris subovata is a moth in the family Gelechiidae. It was described by Povolný in 2001. It is found in Transbaikalia and China (Jilin, Gansu, Hebei...
An estimated 150 species of Lepidoptera, the order comprising butterflies and moths, have been recorded in the North Atlantic archipelago of the Azores...
Athrips polymaculella is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in the southern Krasnojarsk region (Minussinsk) and Chitinskaja oblast in Siberia...
Twig borer refers to a number of species of beetles and moths that chew holes into small branches of trees and shrubs. Many of these insects are agricultural...
periusalis) These are mainly Noctuidae, but they also comprise Sphingidae, Gelechiidae, and Crambidae. Several species of Nicotiana, such as N. sylvestris,...
California, with the description of three new species (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae)". Revista de Lepidopterología. 26: 139–146. Fitch, Chris (January 18...
potato tuber moth larvae,Phthorimaea operculella Zell. (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), in relation to their host plants". Journal of Insect Behavior. 1 (3):...
This is a list of insect galls arranged into families. Podapion gallicola Saperda fayi Thorn-limb Borer Saperda populnea Small Poplar Borer Weevils Ampeloglypter...
Tuta absoluta or Phthorimaea absoluta is a species of moth in family Gelechiidae known by the common names South American tomato pinworm, tomato leafminer...
Frumenta nephelomicta is a moth in the family Gelechiidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1930. It is found in North America, where it has been...
Anarsia ulneongensis is a moth in the family Gelechiidae. It was described by Kyu-Tek Park and Margarita Gennadievna Ponomarenko in 1996.[failed verification]...
Sphenocrates neptis is a moth in the family Gelechiidae. It was described by Alexey Diakonoff in 1954. It is found in New Guinea. Sphenocrates at Markku...
There are about 350 known moth species of Sudan and South Sudan. The moths (mostly nocturnal) and butterflies (mostly diurnal) together make up the taxonomic...
Oecophoridae, there are fruit- and leaf-feeders in families Carposinidae and Gelechiidae. Curculionidae: A weevil in genus Haplonyx feeds on cones. The genera...
Scrobipalpopsis madiae is a moth in the family Gelechiidae. It was described by Powell and Povolný in 2001. It is found in North America, where it has...
Hypatima teramotoi is a moth in the family Gelechiidae. It was described by Ueda in 2012.[failed verification] It is found in Japan (Honshu, the Ryukyus)...
Deltophora minuta is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in Brazil (Amazon). The length of the forewings is 3.5–4 mm. Adults have been recorded...
The Isles of Scilly are an archipelago 45 km (28 mi) off Land's End, Cornwall. Little of the fauna on, above or in the seas surrounding the isles was described...
at very low rates by pupae of an unidentified species of the family Gelechiidae. Parasitic nematodes of the genus Pratylenchus have been found on lesions...
Gnorimoschema alaskense is a moth in the family Gelechiidae. It was described by Povolný in 1967. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded...
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