Copromorphoidea
Encyclopedia
Copromorphoidea, the "fruitworm moths" is a superfamily
of insects in the lepidoptera
n order
. These moths are small to medium-sized (10–50 mm. in wingspan) and are broad-winged bearing some resemblance to the superfamilies Tortricoidea and Immoidea
. The antennae are often "pectinate" especially in males, and many species of these well camouflage
d moths bear raised tufts of scales
on the wings and a specialised fringe of scales at the base of the hindwing sometimes in females only; there are a number of other structural characteristics (Common, 1990; Dugdale et al., 1999) . The position of this superfamily is not certain, but it has been placed in the natural group of "Apoditrysia"http://tolweb.org/Apoditrysia "Obtectomera" (Minet, 1991), rather than with the superfamilies Alucitoidea
or Epermenioidea within which it has sometimes previously been placed, on the grounds that shared larva
l and pupa
l characteristics of these groups have probably evolved independently. It has been suggested that the division into two families should be abandoned (e.g. Holloway et al., 2001).
e pupa
te with the silken gallery or descend to the ground and make a cocoon covered in detritus (Dugdale et al., 1999).
genus Podocarpus
and quite a wide range of dicotyledon
familieshttp://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/hostplants/list.dsml?searchPageURL=browse.dsml&Family=Copromorphidae&Genus=&Species=&Country=&sort=Family http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/hostplants/list.dsml?searchPageURL=browse.dsml&Family=Carposinidae&Genus=&Species=&Country=&sort=Family. As the moths can infest fruit some are considered pest species such as the "Peach Fruit Moth"http://www.invasive.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=0660053.
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
of insects 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 order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
. These moths are small to medium-sized (10–50 mm. in wingspan) and are broad-winged bearing some resemblance to the superfamilies Tortricoidea and Immoidea
Immoidea
Immoidea is a superfamily of pantropical moths containing only the family Immidae comprising ten genera with around 250 species, over half of them in the genus Imma. Many are brightly coloured and diurnal. The position of this group is currently uncertain within the group Obtectomera...
. The antennae are often "pectinate" especially in males, and many species of these well camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
d moths bear raised tufts of scales
Scale (zoology)
In most biological nomenclature, a scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration...
on the wings and a specialised fringe of scales at the base of the hindwing sometimes in females only; there are a number of other structural characteristics (Common, 1990; Dugdale et al., 1999) . The position of this superfamily is not certain, but it has been placed in the natural group of "Apoditrysia"http://tolweb.org/Apoditrysia "Obtectomera" (Minet, 1991), rather than with the superfamilies Alucitoidea
Alucitoidea
Aluctoidea is the superfamily of many-plumed and false plume moths. These small moths are most easily reccognized by their wings. These each consist of many narrow strips of membrane around the major veins, instead of a continuous sheet of membrane between the veins. In living moths in the wild,...
or Epermenioidea within which it has sometimes previously been placed, on the grounds that shared larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
l and pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
l characteristics of these groups have probably evolved independently. It has been suggested that the division into two families should be abandoned (e.g. Holloway et al., 2001).
Distribution
Copromorphoidea occur worldwide except the northwest Palaearctic region (Dugdale et al., 1999).Behaviour
Adults are night-flying and attracted to lights. Caterpillars live between joined leaves or fruits or bore within stems. The larvaLarva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
te with the silken gallery or descend to the ground and make a cocoon covered in detritus (Dugdale et al., 1999).
Larval hostplants
The hostplants include the gymnospermGymnosperm
The gymnosperms are a group of seed-bearing plants that includes conifers, cycads, Ginkgo, and Gnetales. The term "gymnosperm" comes from the Greek word gymnospermos , meaning "naked seeds", after the unenclosed condition of their seeds...
genus Podocarpus
Podocarpus
Podocarpus is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. The 105 species of Podocarpus are evergreen shrubs or trees from 1-25 m in height...
and quite a wide range of dicotyledon
Dicotyledon
The dicotyledons, also known as dicots, are a group of flowering plants whose seed typically has two embryonic leaves or cotyledons. There are around 199,350 species within this group...
familieshttp://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/hostplants/list.dsml?searchPageURL=browse.dsml&Family=Copromorphidae&Genus=&Species=&Country=&sort=Family http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/hostplants/list.dsml?searchPageURL=browse.dsml&Family=Carposinidae&Genus=&Species=&Country=&sort=Family. As the moths can infest fruit some are considered pest species such as the "Peach Fruit Moth"http://www.invasive.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=0660053.