Adelidae
Encyclopedia
| name = Fairy longhorn moths
| image=Unidentified animal 007 (aka).jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption= Adult of an unidentified fairy longhorn moth
from Chemnitz
(Germany)
(possibly Nemophora metallica
)
| regnum = Animal
ia
| phylum = Arthropod
a
| classis = Insect
a
| ordo = Lepidoptera
| subordo = Glossata
| infraordo = Heteroneura
| superfamilia = Incurvarioidea
| familia = Adelidae
| familia_authority = Bruand, 1851
| diversity = 2 subfamilies, and see text
Over 300 species
| diversity_link = #Subfamilies
}}
The Adelidae or fairy longhorn moths are a family
of monotrysia
n moth
s in the lepidoptera
n infraorder Heteroneura
. Most species
have at least partially metallic patterns coloration and are diurnal, sometimes swarming around the tips of branches with an undulating flight. Others are crepuscular
and have a drab coloration. Fairy longhorn moths have a wingspan of 4-28 millimeters, and males often have especially long antenna
e, 1-3 times as long as the forewing.
They are widespread across the world and can be found over much of North America
and Eurasia
from April to June. About 50 species occur in Europe
, of which most widely noted is the Green Longhorn
(Adela reaumurella) which can sometimes reach great abundance; due to climate change
its peak flying season is shifting towards spring. In general, they are more plentiful in the Northern Hemisphere
, but the family occurs in the Neotropics, sub-Saharan Africa
, South-East Asia and Australia
too.
Adelidae are usually closely restricted to particular hostplants http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/hostplants/list.dsml?searchPageURL=browse.dsml&Family=Adelidae&Genus=&Species=&Country=&sort=Family, in which the females insert their eggs or just lay among leaf litter, and the caterpillars make a case, completing their development on the ground. Fairy longhorn moths feed in sunshine on nectar from the flowers of herbaceous
(woody) plants.
Incurvarioidea
, one of the basal ("monotrysia
n") branches of the advanced moth infraorder Heteroneura
. By Lepidoptera
n standards, they are thus still rather primitive micromoths. But like other Heteroneura, they already possess the apomorphic sucking proboscis – usually considered a defining feature of Lepidoptera, but actually the most ancestral moths still live on solid food which they chew.
The genus Tridentaforma is sometimes placed among the Adelidae incertae sedis too; others assign it to the closely related Prodoxidae
.
| image=Unidentified animal 007 (aka).jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption= Adult of an unidentified fairy longhorn moth
from Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
(Germany)
(possibly Nemophora metallica
Nemophora metallica
Nemophora metallica is a moth of the family Adelidae. It is found in Europe.The wingspan is 15-20 mm. The moth flies from late June to August depending on the location.The larvae feed on Knautia arvensis and Scabiosa columbaria....
)
| regnum = Animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
ia
| phylum = Arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
a
| classis = Insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
a
| ordo = Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
| subordo = Glossata
Glossata
Glossata is the suborder of the insect order Lepidoptera that includes all the superfamilies of moths and butterflies that have a coilable proboscis. ....
| infraordo = Heteroneura
Heteroneura
Heteroneura is a natural group in the insect order Lepidoptera that comprises over 99% of all butterflies and moths. This is the sister group of the infraorder Exoporia , and is characterised by wing venation which is not similar or homoneurous in both pairs of wings....
| superfamilia = Incurvarioidea
Incurvarioidea
Incurvarioidea is a superfamily of primitive monotrysian moths in the order Lepidoptera which consists of Leafcutters, yucca moths and relatives. This superfamily is characterised by a piercing, extensible ovipositor used for laying eggs in plants . Many species are day-flying with metallic...
| familia = Adelidae
| familia_authority = Bruand, 1851
| diversity = 2 subfamilies, and see text
Over 300 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
| diversity_link = #Subfamilies
}}
The Adelidae or fairy longhorn moths are a family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of monotrysia
Monotrysia
The Monotrysia is a group of insects in the Lepidopteran order which is not currently considered to be a natural group or clade. The group contains only moths and most of these are small and are relatively understudied in many regions of the world...
n moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
s in the lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
n infraorder Heteroneura
Heteroneura
Heteroneura is a natural group in the insect order Lepidoptera that comprises over 99% of all butterflies and moths. This is the sister group of the infraorder Exoporia , and is characterised by wing venation which is not similar or homoneurous in both pairs of wings....
. Most species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
have at least partially metallic patterns coloration and are diurnal, sometimes swarming around the tips of branches with an undulating flight. Others are crepuscular
Crepuscular
Crepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight, that is during dawn and dusk. The word is derived from the Latin word crepusculum, meaning "twilight." Crepuscular is, thus, in contrast with diurnal and nocturnal behavior. Crepuscular animals may also be active on a bright...
and have a drab coloration. Fairy longhorn moths have a wingspan of 4-28 millimeters, and males often have especially long antenna
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
e, 1-3 times as long as the forewing.
They are widespread across the world and can be found over much of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
from April to June. About 50 species occur in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, of which most widely noted is the Green Longhorn
Green Longhorn
The Green Longhorn is a day-active lepidopteran from the moth family Adelidae, the fairy longhorn moths. The wingspan of the moth ranges from 14 to 18 millimeter....
(Adela reaumurella) which can sometimes reach great abundance; due to climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
its peak flying season is shifting towards spring. In general, they are more plentiful in the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
, but the family occurs in the Neotropics, sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
, South-East Asia and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
too.
Adelidae are usually closely restricted to particular hostplants http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/hostplants/list.dsml?searchPageURL=browse.dsml&Family=Adelidae&Genus=&Species=&Country=&sort=Family, in which the females insert their eggs or just lay among leaf litter, and the caterpillars make a case, completing their development on the ground. Fairy longhorn moths feed in sunshine on nectar from the flowers of herbaceous
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
(woody) plants.
Systematics
Fairy longhorn moths belong to the superfamilyBiological classification
Biological classification, or scientific classification in biology, is a method to group and categorize organisms by biological type, such as genus or species. Biological classification is part of scientific taxonomy....
Incurvarioidea
Incurvarioidea
Incurvarioidea is a superfamily of primitive monotrysian moths in the order Lepidoptera which consists of Leafcutters, yucca moths and relatives. This superfamily is characterised by a piercing, extensible ovipositor used for laying eggs in plants . Many species are day-flying with metallic...
, one of the basal ("monotrysia
Monotrysia
The Monotrysia is a group of insects in the Lepidopteran order which is not currently considered to be a natural group or clade. The group contains only moths and most of these are small and are relatively understudied in many regions of the world...
n") branches of the advanced moth infraorder Heteroneura
Heteroneura
Heteroneura is a natural group in the insect order Lepidoptera that comprises over 99% of all butterflies and moths. This is the sister group of the infraorder Exoporia , and is characterised by wing venation which is not similar or homoneurous in both pairs of wings....
. By Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
n standards, they are thus still rather primitive micromoths. But like other Heteroneura, they already possess the apomorphic sucking proboscis – usually considered a defining feature of Lepidoptera, but actually the most ancestral moths still live on solid food which they chew.
Subfamilies
The Adelidae are usually divided into 2 subfamilies. But most genera are actually of uncertain or basal relationships. Selected species are also listed:The genus Tridentaforma is sometimes placed among the Adelidae incertae sedis too; others assign it to the closely related Prodoxidae
Prodoxidae
Prodoxidae is a family of primitive monotrysian Lepidoptera. Some of these small-to-medium sized moths are day flying, like Lampronia capitella, known to European gardeners as the "Currant Shoot Borer". Others occur in Africa and Asia.Tetragma gei feeds on Mountain Avens Geum triflorum in USA....
.
External links
- UK Adelidae key
- UK Adelinae
- Jeff's UK moths
- Adelidae at BugGuide.net
- CSIRO High resolution images of some Australian Adelidae
- UK Nematopogon