Federgeistchen (family)

Feather genie
Alucita hexadactyla
Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta) Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera) Subordination : Glossata Superfamily : Alucitoidea Family : Feather genie
Scientific name
Alucitidae
Leach , 1815

Alucita hexadactyla

The feather spirits (Alucitidae) are a family of butterflies . They occur worldwide with only about 130 species in 9 genera . The members of the genus Pterophorus (e.g. Pterophorus pentadactyla ) are also called feather spirits , but they belong to the family of feather moths (Pterophoridae).

features

The moths reach a wingspan of 12 to 16 millimeters. They have very peculiarly shaped wings, which consist of rigid spines on which flexible bristles protrude on both sides, similar to feathers . Your thread-like antennae reach about two thirds of the forewing length. In addition to compound eyes , some species also have point eyes ( Ocelli ). Your maxillary palps are well developed, reduced or completely absent depending on the species. Their proboscis are bare and well developed.

Depending on the author , the forewings have 8 or 9 or 11 or 12 wing veins with one anal vein (1b), the hind wings have seven to nine veins and one anal vein (1b). The authors, who advocate more wing veins, recognize these as short branches that run from the seventh vein to the Costa vein on the forewing edge.

Way of life

The moths are crepuscular or nocturnal. In their rest position you have either partially or fully opened the wings, the undersides of which are more or less on the landing area.

The caterpillars feed as miners in the blossoms and buds of honeysuckles ( Lonicera spec. ).

Systematics

The family of feather spirits is divided into the following genera

• Alinguata
• Alucita (type genus)
• Hebdomactis
• Witcheretmis
• Microschism
• Orneodes
• Paelia
• Prymnotomis
• Pterotopteryx
• Triscaedecia

The family is represented in Europe with 23 species. The following eight types occur in German-speaking countries:

• Genus Alucita
• A. cymatodactyla Zeller, 1852 CH

• Honeysuckle spirit ( A. hexadactyla ) Linnaeus, 1758 D-CH-A (type species)
• A. huebneri Wallengren, 1859 D-CH-A
• A. grammodactyla Zeller, 1841 D-CH-A
• A. palodactyla Zeller, 1847 D-CH
• A. desmodactyla Zeller, 1847 D-CH-A
• A. zonodactyla Zeller, 1847 CH

• Genus Pterotopteryx

• P. dodecadactyla Huebner, 1813 D-CH-A (type species)

swell

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Wikispecies (2020)
2. ↑ Alucitidae in Fauna Europaea. Retrieved December 28, 2006
3. ↑ Alucitidae. Lepiforum eV, accessed on December 28, 2006 . 

Web links

Commons : Federgeistchen  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• British Insects: the Families of Lepidoptera