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| Insects of Britain and Ireland: the families of Lepidoptera |
Lavernidae; including Agonoxenidae, Cosmopterigidae, Batrachedridae
Adults relatively long-bodied; relatively slender-bodied (wingspan more than 15 times the thoracic width) to medium built (wingspan more than 8 and less than 15 times the thoracic width); not raising the hind-legs in repose; wings in repose packed with the forewings directed backwards to cover hindwings and abdomen.
Head smooth. Antennae long to very long; extending to about 0.75–1 times the length of the forewing; not clubbed. Antennae of males simple; non-ciliate, or simply-ciliate. The antennal scape with a pecten, or without a pecten; not forming an ‘eye cap’. Eyes glabrous. Ocelli present, or absent. Chaetosemata absent (?). Maxillary palps well developed; 3 segmented, or 4 segmented; folded. Labial palps drooping (Chrysoclista), or ascending (appressed, very short, or very long an recurved in Pancalia); 3 segmented. Proboscis fully developed; scaly towards the base.
Wingspan 7–21 mm; (10.5–)11–17 times the thoracic width. Forewings narrow; 4–7 times as long as wide. Tornus clearly defined to undetectable. The outer and hind margins angled at 120–180 degrees. The outer margin convexly curved; forewings apically blunt. Hindwings narrow-elongate and very long-fringed; linear to linear-lanceolate; very much narrower than the forewings to quite markedly narrower than the forewings; with a pointed apex. The fringe of the hindwings 2–8 times the width of the membrane. The upper surfaces plain; with neither discal spot nor transverse lines; hindwings with a frenulum.
Neuration of forewings and hindwings dissimilar. Forewings 11–12 veined (veins 7 and 8 sometimes coincident, or 5 absent, or 4 and 6 absent in Pancalia), or 13 veined; with 1 anal vein to with 2 anal veins. The anal veins of the forewings representing 1b only, or comprising 1b and 1c (1c complete only proximally or distally). Forewings exhibiting a tubular vein 1c, or lacking a tubular vein 1c. Vein 1b of the forewings furcate proximally. The transverse vein complete. Discal cell of the forewings without a tubular media (M) vein. Veins 7 and 8 of the forewings sometimes stalked. Hindwings with well developed neuration, or with greatly reduced neuration; 5–10 veined; lacking anal veins, or with 1 anal vein to with 3 anal veins (? - only theoretically interpretable when neuration reduced). The anal veins of the hindwings when identifiable, representing 1b only, or comprising 1b and 1c, or comprising 1a and 1b, or comprising 1a, 1b and 1c. Hindwings exhibiting vein 1a, or lacking vein 1a; exhibiting a tubular vein 1c (when neuration not reduced), or lacking a tubular vein 1c. Vein 1b of the hindwings simple. Hindwings with a discal cell, or without a discal cell. The transverse vein incomplete. When cell present, 6 veins arising from the hindwing cell. The cell-derived hindwing veins all arising independently of one another. Veins 6 and 7 of the hindwings not parallel. Vein 8 of the hindwings completely independent of the cell (when cell present); not approximating to vein 7.
Fore-legs with a tibial epiphysis. Tibiae of middle legs 2-spurred. Posterior tibiae 4-spurred; hairy.
Eggs, larvae and pupae. Eggs smooth or minutely pitted (?). Larval prolegs 10. Larvae concealed feeders; leaf-mining, or not leaf-mining (then usually in stems or amongst seeds, rarely in spun leaves). The phytophagous forms on diverse woody and herbaceous Dicots and grasses.
Pupae on the surface of the ground, or above the ground. Empty pupae not becoming protruded.
British representation. Genera 11; 34 species. Blastodacna atra (Apple Pith Moth), Chrysoclista linneella (Linaeus's Spangle-wing or Cosmet), Euclemensia woodiella (Manchester Tinea: known worldwide only from only three extant specimens, supposedly collected in 1829 about 5 km from the centre of Manchester, and now seemingly extinct), etc.
Classification. Microlepidoptera. Suborder Ditrysia. Superfamily Gelechioidea.
Illustrations. • Mompha, Chrysoclista, Blastodacna and Spuleria (including Cosmopterigidae: from Stainton). Momphidae sensu stricto: 23, Mompha propinquella. 1''c, Mompha terminella, head; 8a and 8b, Mompha miscella, fore- and hind-wings; 8'c, Mompha lacteella, head; 8''a and 8''b, Mompha epilobiella, fore- and hind-wings; 8'''c, Mompha ochraceella, head. 9'b, Mompha locupletella, posterior wing; 11a-11c, Mompha langiella: fore- and hind-wings, and head. 8''''a and 8''''b, Blastodacna hellerella (Cosmopterigidae), fore- and hind-wings. 9''b and 9''c, Spuleria flavicaput (Cosmopterigidae), hind-wing and head. From Stainton (1854, Plates VII, VIII, and IX). • Batrachedra (Batrachedridae: from Stainton). Batrachedra preangusta (Batrachedridae), fore- and hind-wings, and head. From Stainton (1854, Plate VII). • Stainton's representative 'Tineina'. Stainton's TINEINA (Momphidae italicised). 2, Ochsenheimeria birdella; 3, Tinea ganomella; 4, Eriocrania salopiella; 5, Nemophora metallica; 6, Swammerdamia pyrella; 7, Yponomeuta sedella; 8, Plutella xylostella; 9, Ypsolopha dentella; 10, Agonopterix alstroemeriana; 11, Pexicopia malvella; 12, Chrysoesthia drurella; 13, Ypsolopha parenthesella; 14, Schiffermuelleria grandis; 15, Scythris grandipennis; 16, Glyphipteryx equitella; 17, Heliozela resplendella; 18, Argyresthia bonnetella; 19, Caloptilia alchimiella; 20, Coleophora lineola; 21, Bedellia somnulentella; 22, Cosmopteryx lienigiella; 23, Mompha propinquella; 24, Elachista gangabella; 25, Elachista maculicerusella; 26, Emmetia marginea; 27, Phyllonorycter acerifoliella; 28, Phyllonorycter stettinensis; 29, Leucoptera malifoliella; 30, Ectoedemia sericopeza. From Stainton (1854, Plate IX). • Chrysoclista linneella (Linaeus's Spangle-wing, Cosmet: B. Ent. 152). • Chrysoclista linneella (legend+text: B. Ent. 152). • Chrysoclista linneella (text cont.: B. Ent. 152). • The extinct Euclemensia woodiella Curtis (Original generic description. Manchester Tinea: B. Ent. 304). • Euclemensia woodiella: B. Ent. 304, legend+text. This species, now referred to the genus Euclemensia, is known to this day from only three specimens, supposedly collected in 1829 about 5 k from the centre of Manchester. It has never been found elsewhere in the world, and is almost certainly extinct. The original description of E. woodiella (Curtis) provided an opportunity to chastize Mr. Stephens (see the following page). • Euclemensia woodiella: B. Ent. 304, text cont.. • Mompha ochraceella (Curtis): B. Ent. 735. • Mompha ochraceella (Curtis): B. Ent. 735, legend+text. • Mompha ochraceella (Curtis): B. Ent. 735, text cont.. • 16 British species of Mompha. 1, Mompha langiella; 2, M. terminella; 3, M. propinquella; 4, M. divisella; 5, M. sturnipennella; 6, M. miscella; 7, M. conturbatella; 8, M. sturnipennella, gall; 9, M. divisella gall, opened in 10. 11, M. raschkiella; 12, M. locupletella; 13, M. ochraceella; 14, M. lacteella; 15, M. subbistrigella; M. epilobiella. From Wakely (1945, illustration by S.N.A. Jacobs). The 1cm scale applies to the adult moths, the galls being to a smaller scale. • Limnaecia phragmitella (as Laverna): Stainton 11, IV (1870). MOMPHIDAE (COSMOPTERIGIDAE). 1, Limnaecia phragmitella; larva (1a); Typha latifolia inflorescence, showing effects of the larva inside it (1b). Stainton 11, IV (1870). • Stainton 11, IV (1870): original legend.. • Cosmopteryx lienigiella, C. orichalcea, C. schmidiella: Stainton 12, I (1870). MOMPHIDAE (COSMOPTERIGIDAE). 1, Cosmopteryx lienigiella. Larva (1a), with mined leaf blade of Phragmites (1b). 2, Cosmopteryx orichalcea. Larva (2a), and a mined leaf blade of Festuca arundinacea (2b). 3, Cosmopteryx schmidiella. Larva (3a), and a leaf of Vicia sepium with leaflets discolourd by it (3b). Stainton 12, I (1870). • Stainton 12, I (1870): original legend.. • Sorhagenia rhamniella (as Laverna): Stainton 11, VI (1870). MOMPHIDAE (COSMOPTERIGIDAE). 3, Sorhagenia rhamniella. Larva (3a), and a Rhamnus catharticus shoot attacked by it (3b). Stainton 11, VI (1870). • Stainton 11, VI (1870): original legend.. • Mompha substrigella: Stainton 11, VI (1870). MOMPHIDAE. 1, Mompha substrigella. Larva (2a), and a seed pod of Epilobium eaten by it (2b). Stainton 11, VI (1870). • Stainton 11, VI (1870): original legend.. • Mompha terminella: Stainton 12, IV (1870). MOMPHIDAE. 1, Mompha terminella. Larva (1a), and a leaf of Circaea lutetiana mined by it (1B). Stainton 12, IV (1870). • Stainton 12, IV (1870): original legend.. • Mompha propinquella, M. epilobiella (as fulvescens), M. langiella (as epilobiella): Stainton 11, V (1870). MOMPHIDAE. 1, Mompha propinquella; larva (1a), and a mined leaf of Epilobium hirsutum (1b). 2, Mompha epilobiella; larva (2a), and a shoot of Epilobium hirsutum disfigured by it (2b). 3, Limnoecia epiloniella, = Mompha langiella; larva (3a), and a mined leaf of Circaea lutetiana (3 b). Stainton 11, V (1870). • Stainton 11, V (1870): original legend.. • Larvae of 'Tineina' (Stainton). 1, OECOPHORIDAE: Diurnea fagella larva, and (1a) shown between united birch leaves. 2, PSYCHIDIDAE: Taleporia(?) larva, showing cases attached to lichen (2a), and a single case enlarged. 3, YPONOMEUTIDAE: Ochsenheimeria taurella, and (3a) a section of grass stem showing the larva in situ. 4, TINEIDAE: Tineola bisselliella, with a gallery formed in feathers (4a); 4b, a case of Tinea pellionella on a feather. 5, INCURVARIIDAE: Incurvaria praelatella, with a partially devoured wild strawberry leaf (5a), and a case from the underside. 6, Incurvaria pectinea, and (6a) the larva in its case feeding on a fallen oak leaf. 7, Lampronia capitella, with (7a) a currant shoot withering from the effects of the larva feeding in the stem. 8, YPONOMEUTIDAE: Swammerdamia pyrella, with (8a) the larva in its web between united cherry leaves. 9, Yponomeutidae-Plutellinae: Plutella porrectella, and (9a) feeding on a Hesperis leaf. 10, GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE: Orthotelia sparganella, with (10a) an eaten stem of Sparganium. 11. OECOPHORIDAE: Depressaria sp., with (11a) a leaf of Centaurea nigra distorted by its attentions. 12, GELECHIIDAE: Anacampsis temerella, with (12a) a sallow leaf tenanted by it. 13, Metzneria aestivella, with (13a) a sectioned fruiting head of Carlina showing the feeding larva in situ. 14, OECOPHORIDAE: Crassa unitella, and (14a) a piece of decayed wood burrowed by the larvae. 15, GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE: Glyphipteryx equitella, with (15a) shoots of Sedum acre showing the middle one bleached by excavations of the larva. 16, YPONOMEUTIDAE: Argyresthia bonnetella, with (16a) hawthorn shoots eaten by the larva. 17, GRACILLARIIDAE: Caloptilia alchimiella, with (17a) an oak lead exhibiting a cone formed by the larva. 18, OECOPHORIDAE: Agonopterix angelicella, with (18a) its cone on a hawthorn leaf. 19, COLEOPHORIDAE: Coleophora follicularis, with (19a) a mined leaf of Eupatorium, and (19b) the case enlarged. 20, LYONETIIDAE: Bedellia somnulentella, with (20a) a mined Convolvulus arvensis leaf. 21, EPERMENIIDAE: Epermenia chaerophyllellus, with (21a) a portion of Anthriscus sylvestris leaf eaten half through by it. 22, MOMPHIDAE: Chrysoclista linneella, with (22a) a piece of inner bark of lime burrowed by it. 23, ELACHISTIDAE: Elachista maculicerusella. with (23a) a mined Phragmites leaf blade. 24, TISCHERIIDAE: Emmetia marginea, and (24a) a mined bramble leaf. 25, GRACILLARIIDAE: Phyllonorycter quinnata, with (25a) a mined Carpinus leaf. 26, LYONETIIDAE: Leucoptera laburnella, with (26a) a mined Laburnum leaf. 27, Bucculatrix bechsteinella (Bucculatricidae), and a hawthorn leaf eaten half through. 28, NEPTICULIDAE: Nepticula sp., with (28a) a mined Potentilla leaf. From Stainton (1854, Plate X). • Cosmopteryx, Mompha: neuration.
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. Insects of Britain and Ireland: the families of Lepidoptera. Version: 14th April 2022. delta-intkey.com’.
