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Lepidoptera is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 per cent of the total described species of living organisms. It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world. The Lepidoptera show many variations of the basic body structure that have evolved to gain advantages in lifestyle and distribution. Recent estimates suggest the order may have more species than earlier thought, and is among the four most speciose orders, along with the Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Coleoptera.
Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of which have yet to be described. Most species of moth are nocturnal, but there are also crepuscular and diurnal species.
The Sphingidae are a family of moths (Lepidoptera), commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths, and hornworms; it includes about 1,450 species. It is best represented in the tropics, but species are found in every region. They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their agile and sustained flying ability, similar enough to that of hummingbirds as to be reliably mistaken for them. Their narrow wings and streamlined abdomens are adaptations for rapid flight. The family was named by French zoologist Pierre André Latreille in 1802.
The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek geo γῆ or γαῖα "the earth", and metron μέτρον "measure" in reference to the way their larvae, or "inchworms", appear to "measure the earth" as they move along in a looping fashion. A very large family, it has around 23,000 species of moths described, and over 1400 species from six subfamilies indigenous to North America alone. A well-known member is the peppered moth, Biston betularia, which has been subject of numerous studies in population genetics. Several other geometer moths are notorious pests.
The Alucitidae or many-plumed moths are a family of moths with unusually modified wings. Both fore- and hind-wings consist of about six rigid spines, from which radiate flexible bristles creating a structure similar to a bird's feather.
The Tortricidae are a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths or leafroller moths, in the order Lepidoptera. This large family has over 10,350 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea, although the genus Heliocosma is sometimes placed within this superfamily. Many of these are economically important pests. Olethreutidae is a junior synonym. The typical resting posture is with the wings folded back, producing a rather rounded profile.
Evergestinae is a fairly small subfamily of the lepidopteran family Crambidae, the crambid snout moths. The subfamily was described by H. Marion in 1952. It contains roughly 140 species on all continents and continental islands. Evergestine moths resemble Pyraustinae; however, the male genitalia have a long uncus and long, slender gnathos. The larvae feed mostly on Brassicaceae.
The Glyphipterigidae are a family of small moths commonly known as sedge moths, as the larvae of many species feed on sedges and rushes. More than 500 species have been described in the family.
The fabulous green sphinx moth or fabulous green sphinx of Kauai is a species of moth in the family Sphingidae. It is monotypic within the genus Tinostoma. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1998. The genus was erected by Walter Rothschild and Karl Jordan in 1903 and the species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1899.
Eois is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae. The genus contains about 250 validly described species, most from the Neotropical region. Many species are still undescribed and the total number of species is estimated to be over a 1,000 in the Neotropical region alone. The genus was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1818.
Sterrhinae is a large subfamily of geometer moths with some 3,000 described species, with more than half belonging to the taxonomically difficult, very diverse genera, Idaea and Scopula. This subfamily was described by Edward Meyrick in 1892. They are the most diverse in the tropics with the number of species decreasing with increasing latitude and elevation.
Dysgonia torrida, the jigsaw, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. It is found from the tropical and subtropical areas of Africa to Spain, southern Italy, Greece, Syria, Israel, Iran, Uzbekistan towards India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
The Micronoctuini are a tribe of moths in the family Erebidae that includes about 400 described species. Typical species in the tribe have bifine hindwing venation and are smaller than those in other noctuoid moths. Micronoctua karsholti is the smallest of all species in the superfamily Noctuoidea.
William Schaus was an American entomologist who became known for his major contribution to the knowledge and description of new species of the Neotropical Lepidoptera.
Elegia similella is a moth of the family Pyralidae. It was described by Johann Leopold Theodor Friedrich Zincken in 1818 and is known from most of Europe. The habitat consists of old, mature woodland and parkland.
The Galleriinae are a subfamily of snout moths and occur essentially worldwide, in some cases aided by involuntary introduction by humans. This subfamily includes the wax moths, whose caterpillars (waxworms) are bred on a commercial scale as food for pets and as fishing bait; in the wild, these and other species of Galleriinae may also be harmful to humans as pests.
Adelphia is a monotypic snout moth genus in the subfamily Phycitinae. It was described by Carl Heinrich in 1956. Its only species is Adelphia petrella, which was originally described as Pempelia petrella by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1846. It is found in North America, from New Jersey to Florida and westward to Iowa and Texas.
Amphithrix is a genus of snout moths. It was described by Ragonot, in 1893, and contains one species, Amphithrix sublineatella. It is found in Spain, Portugal, France, Corsica, Sicily and Croatia.
Anegcephalesis is a genus of snout moths described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1917.
The parsnip moth or parsnip webworm is a moth of the family Depressariidae. It is found in most of Europe, except Portugal and most of the Balkan Peninsula.
References
- 1 2 "GlobIZ search". Global Information System on Pyraloidea. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
- ↑ "Butterflies and Moths of the World - Generic Names and their Type-species". Natural History Museum. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
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