Heliozelidae
Encyclopedia
A family of primitive monotrysia
n moths in the order Lepidoptera
, Heliozelidae are small, metallic day-flying moths with shiny smooth heads, In Europe the small adult moths (genera Antispila and Heliozela) are seldom noticed as they fly quite early in the Spring. The larvae are leaf minershttp://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/heliozelidae.htm and the vacated leaf mines are distinctive because the larva
leaves a large hole at the end.
The family is worldwide but the recently discovered genus Plesiozela from southern South America
(which has five segments in the labial palps) may represent the sister group of living heliozelids (Karsholt and Kristensen, 2003).
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 moths in the order 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...
, Heliozelidae are small, metallic day-flying moths with shiny smooth heads, In Europe the small adult moths (genera Antispila and Heliozela) are seldom noticed as they fly quite early in the Spring. The larvae are leaf minershttp://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/heliozelidae.htm and the vacated leaf mines are distinctive because the 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...
leaves a large hole at the end.
The family is worldwide but the recently discovered genus Plesiozela from southern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
(which has five segments in the labial palps) may represent the sister group of living heliozelids (Karsholt and Kristensen, 2003).
