The list below is ordered initially in approximate order of species
diversity and
ecological abundance. The first four superfamilies listed here may comprise 90% of species in a sample of smaller moths and the listed characters may be of some assistance to sort these out, particularly the form of the
labial palp and
scaling of the proboscis (Robinson et al. 2001). 1.
Curved horn moths, twirler moths, case-bearers and allies – 16,250 spp. •
Gelechioidea: Head smooth-scaled, labial palps usually are slender, recurved, with the terminal
segment long and pointed; the long proboscis bears scales on basal half. Resting posture very varied. •
Gelechiidae – twirler moths •
Oecophoridae – concealer moths •
Lecithoceridae – tropical longhorned moths •
Cosmopterigidae – cosmet moths •
Coleophoridae – case-bearers •
Elachistidae – grass-miner miners •
Momphidae – mompha moths •
Ethmiidae •
Blastobasidae – scavenger moths •
Batrachedridae – flower moths •
Scythrididae – flower moths •
Pterolonchidae – lance-wing moths •
Symmocidae •
Agonoxenidae – palm moths •
Holcopogonidae •
Metachandidae 2.
Pyralids, snout moths and grass moths – 16,000 spp. •
Pyraloidea: Head rough-scaled, proboscis scaled,
tympanal organs on abdomen; labial palps usually not recurved, terminal segment usually blunt.
Hindwing veins ("Sc" + "R1") and "Rs" are close or fused in the middle of the wing; resting posture usually either with wings tightly rolled or and held quite flat to surface in triangular shape and with labial palps often projecting forward, giving
Concorde-like appearance;
antennae often swept back parallel together over body. Generally they are considered the closest group to '
macrolepidoptera', and maybe ancestral to it, macrolepidoptera itself is not a universally accepted taxon. •
Pyralidae – pyrales or snout moths •
Crambidae – grass moths 3.
Tortrix moths, leaf-roller moths, bell moths, codling moths and allies – 6,200 spp. •
Tortricidae: Head rough-scaled, labial palps with short blunt
apical segment, basal half of proboscis
not scaled; wings held over back in tent-like or flattened position;
forewing costa often quite strongly
convex or sinuate in many Tortricinae giving bell-like shape 4.
Clothes moths, bagworms and allies – 4,200 spp. •
Tineoidea: Head often with tufty erect scales; labial palps usually have bristles on middle segment and terminal segment is long; wings usually held over back in tent-like position and head close to surface; tineids often run fast •
Tineidae – clothes moths and fungus moths •
Eriocottidae – Old World spiny winged moths •
Acrolophidae – tube moths •
Arrhenophanidae – tropical lattice moths •
Psychidae – bagworm moths •
Lypusidae – European bagworm moths 5, 6.
Leaf miner moths – 3,200 spp. •
Gracillarioidea – 2,300 spp. •
Gracillariidae – blotch leaf miner moths •
Bucculatricidae – ribbed cocoon makers •
Douglasiidae – Douglas moths •
Roeslerstammiidae – double-eye moths •
Nepticuloidea – 900 spp. - eyecap moths •
Nepticulidae – pygmy eyecap moths •
Opostegidae – white eyecap moths 7.
Ermine moths, webworm moths, yucca moths and allies – 1,500 spp. •
Yponomeutoidea •
Yponomeutidae – ermine moths •
Acrolepiidae – false diamond-back moths •
Ypsolophidae •
Plutellidae – diamond-back moths and allies •
Glyphipterigidae – sedge moths •
Heliodinidae – sun moths •
Bedelliidae •
Lyonetiidae – lyonet moths 8, 9.
Plume moths – 1,160 spp. •
Pterophoridae – plume moths – 1,000 spp. •
Alucitidae – many-plumed moths – 160 spp. 10.
Tropical leaf moths or picture-winged moths – more than 1000 spp. •
Thyrididae: Small mainly dayflying moths: 11.
Fairy moths, longhorn moths and allies – 600 spp. •
Adeloidea •
Incurvariidae – leaf-cutter moths •
Adelidae – fairy moths •
Heliozelidae – shield-bearer leaf-miners •
Prodoxidae – yucca moths •
Cecidosidae – gall moths 12.
Metalmark moths – 402 spp. •
Choreutidae 13.
Mandibulate archaic moths – 180 spp. •
Micropterigidae 14.
Sparkling archaic sun moths or spring jewel moths – 24 spp. •
Eriocraniidae Superfamilies less likely to be encountered: 15.
Tropical fruitworm moths – 318 spp. •
Copromorphoidea •
Copromorphidae •
Carposinidae 16.
Fringe tufted moths – 83 spp. •
Epermeniidae 17.
Blackberry leaf skeletonizer and allies – 8 spp. •
Schreckensteiniidae 18.
Immid moths – 250 spp. •
Immidae 19.
False burnet moths – 60 spp. •
Urodidae 20.
Tropical teak moths – 20 spp. •
Hyblaeidae 21. '''Whalley's Malagasy moths''' – 2 spp. •
Whalleyanidae More rarely encountered "primitive" families: 22.
Kauri pine moths – 2 spp. •
Agathiphagidae 22.
Southern beech moths or Valdivian archaic moths – 9 spp. •
Heterobathmiidae 23.
Archaic sun moths – 4 spp. •
Acanthopteroctetidae 24.
Australian archaic sun moths – 6 spp. •
Lophocoronidae 25.
Archaic bell moths – 12 spp. •
Neopseustidae 26.
New Zealand endemic moths – 7 spp. •
Mnesarchaeidae 27.
Gondwanaland moths – 60 spp. •
Palaephatidae 28.
Trumpet leaf miner moths – 107 spp. •
Tischeriidae 29.
Simaethistid moths – 4 spp. •
Simaethistidae 30.
Galacticoid moths or webworm moths – 17 spp. •
Galacticidae Larger "micros" These groups have been formerly included in macros by hobbyists. 'Archaic and primitive
macros' is not a recommended name for these as it may create confusion of their placement in some classification systems. 31.
Swift moths and allies – 544 spp. •
Hepialoidea •
Hepialidae – swift moths •
Anomosetidae – Australian primitive ghost moths •
Prototheoridae – African primitive ghost moths •
Neotheoridae – Amazonian primitive ghost moths •
Palaeosetidae – miniature ghost moths Unassigned to superfamily: 32. '''Meyrick's mystic moth''' – 1 sp. •
Prodidactidae Large
monotrysian micros: 33.
Andean endemic moths – 3 spp. •
Andesianidae Large
ditrysian micros (formerly 'primitive macros'): 34.
Burnet moths, slug moths, hag moths, glass moths and allies – 2,600 spp. •
Zygaenoidea •
Zygaenidae – burnet and forester moths •
Limacodidae – slug moths or saddleback caterpillar moths •
Megalopygidae – flannel moths •
Epipyropidae – planthopper parasite moths •
Heterogynidae – Mediterranean burnet moths •
Himantopteridae – long-tailed burnet moths •
Anomoeotidae •
Cyclotornidae – Australian parasite moths •
Somabrachyidae – African flannel moths •
Dalceridae – glass moths •
Lacturidae – Australian burnet moths •
Aididae 35.
Clearwing moths, castniid moths, little bear moths and allies – 1,300 spp. •
Sesioidea •
Sesiidae – clearwing moths •
Castniidae – castniid moths •
Brachodidae – little bear moths 36, 37.
Goat or carpenter moths and allies – 676 spp. •
Cossoidea •
Cossidae – goat moths, leopard moths or carpenterworm moths •
Dudgeoneidae – Dudgeon carpenterworm moths == Sources ==