Dwarf moth

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Dwarf moth
Bucculatricidae.jpg

Dwarf moth ( Bucculatricidae )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Subordination : Glossata
Superfamily : Gracillarioidea
Family : Dwarf moth
Scientific name
Bucculatricidae
Wallengren , 1881

The miniature moth (Bucculatricidae) are a family of butterflies (Lepidoptera).

features

The representatives of the dwarf moth are extremely small to moderately small moths, which reach a wingspan of 2.5 to 7.0 millimeters. The head is usually elongated, the forehead ( frons ) extends down well over his eyes out. In the genus Leucoedamia , the head is shortened and less specialized. The vertex is covered with a large tuft of protruding hair- like scales that point in all directions. Ocelles are absent. The eyes are medium-sized, the interocular index (vertical eye diameter divided by the minimum interpupillary distance) is approximately 1.0. The corneal lenses are bare. The antennae are 0.6 to 0.9 times as long as forewings. The antenna shaft is enlarged, flattened, and provided with a dense row of slender scales that partially cover the eye. The antennae flagellum is thread-shaped, each segment is surrounded by two rows of short, slender scales in a ring. In the males, the first flagellomer is often notched or sharply curved. The pilifers, small hairy outgrowths on either side of the forehead plate or upper lip , are usually reduced. In the genus Leucoedamia , however, they are well developed. Mouthparts are missing. The house tellum (the middle, soft part of the proboscis ) is short and at most 1.5 times as long as the diameter of the eye. The maxillary palps are only rudimentary and usually only consist of a tiny, unsegmented lobe. The labial palps droop and have no lateral bristles. They are usually very short and only consist of an extremely short segment. In the genus Leucoedamia , however, they consist of three short segments. The fore wings are lanceolate, the apex is pointed. On the fore wing, the retinaculum arises from a broad fold, which is formed from the fused veins C and Sc. The Rs vein is usually four-fold, rarely only three-fold, the Rs4 vein extends to the wing tip. Accessory and intercalary cells are absent. The Cubitalader (Cu) is generally only simply branched, in rare cases it can also be absent. Anal veins 1A and 2A are not bifurcated at the base. In the males, the frenulum consists of a single strong bristle, in the females of two bristles. The discoidal cell is open on the hind wing . The paired abdominal apodemes of the 2nd abdominal segment are elongated and slender. Most males of the genus Bucculatrix have an evertable scaly sac as an invagination of the membrane between the second and third abdominal segment.

The uncus is usually absent in the genitals of the males ; it is rarely well developed and pointed. Tegumen and Vinculum are narrow to wide. The saccus is rarely developed, the gnathos is usually absent. In the genus Leucoedemia , it is well developed, fused in the middle and has bristles. The species of the genus Bucculatrix have well developed and bristle socii. A transtilla is usually non-existent or weak. The anellus is membranous, conical and often laterally sclerotized . There is usually no pronounced juxta . The blades are straight and simple, rarely lobed. The muscles of the genitals are made up of three pairs of muscles. The aedeagus is usually cylindrical, elongated and wavy. Cornuti are rarely found.

The genitals of the females have a short ovipositor , mostly only the apophyses posteriores are present. The bursal duct is usually only sclerotized in the caudal part, it is elongated and slender. The corpus bursae expands abruptly, the signum has the shape of a single large plate, which is provided with numerous rows of spines.

The eggs are flattened and oval. The egg shell has a net-like structure.

The caterpillars of the first two stages are legless. Later stages have thoracic legs and five pairs of belly legs. In the genus Bucculatrix , the pretarsi of the legs of the prothorax are greatly elongated. The wreaths of hooks on the legs are incompletely circular.

In the pupa , the wings and antennae extend beyond the 7th segment. A row of spines is laid out on segment A2 or A3 to A7. In the males the segments A3 to A7 are mobile, in the females the segments A3 to A6. The segment A10 and the cremaster are reduced and consist of a tiny dorsal and often a larger lateral pair of spines.

biology

The caterpillars develop hypermetamorphically and go through five caterpillar stages. The caterpillars of most species live as leaf miners in the first two stages , later they also feed on the plants. In the third and fourth stages, the caterpillars sometimes produce a flattened molting cocoon on the underside of the leaf. The caterpillars pupate in the fifth instar in a ribbed silk cocoon, which is typical of the family. Some species drill into stems or feed inside plant galls . The caterpillars of Ogmograptis scribula drill elongated mines into the bark of eucalyptus trees . Species from about 30 plant families are among the host plants are preferred daisy family (Asteraceae), Birch Family (Betulaceae) and Beech family (Fagaceae).

The oldest records of dwarf moth species come from the Upper Cretaceous and the Oligocene .

Systematics

Around 250 species are currently known worldwide. About 100 species are native to the Nearctic . With the exception of the plesiomorphic and monotypic taxon Leucoedemia native to South Africa , almost all members of the family belong to the genus Bucculatrix . The genus Ogmograptis has also been a member of the dwarf moth family since 1991.

In Europe the family is represented with one genus and 56 species:

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Niels P. Kristensen: Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies . In: Maximilian Fischer (Ed.): Handbook of Zoology . 1st edition. tape 4 - Arthropoda: Insecta , volume 35. de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1998, ISBN 3-11-015704-7 , p. 110 (English).
  2. ↑ Bucculatricidae in Fauna Europaea. Retrieved October 20, 2011

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