Tineidae Explained
Tineidae is a family of moths in the order Lepidoptera described by Pierre André Latreille in 1810. Collectively, they are known as fungus moths or tineid moths. The family contains considerably more than 3,000 species in more than 300 genera. Most of the tineid moths are small or medium-sized, with wings held roofwise over the body when at rest. They are particularly common in the Palaearctic, but many occur elsewhere, and some are found very widely as introduced species.
Tineids are unusual among Lepidoptera as the larvae of only a very small number of species feed on living plants, the majority feeding on fungi, lichens, and detritus. The most familiar members of the family are the clothes moths, which have adapted to feeding on stored fabrics and led to their reputation as a household pest. The most widespread of such species are the common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella), the case-bearing clothes moth (Tinea pellionella), and the carpet moth (Trichophaga tapetzella); the brown-dotted clothes moth (Niditinea fuscella) despite its name, preferentially feeds on feathers in bird nests.
One remarkable genus is Ceratophaga, whose members feed exclusively on pure keratin in the form of the horns and hooves of dead mammals and even the shells of dead tortoises.
Systematics
Subfamilies and notable genera
Some species also are listed; for others see genus accounts.
Dryadaulinae
Erechthiinae
Euplocaminae
Hapsiferinae
Harmacloninae
Hieroxestinae
Meessiinae
Myrmecozelinae
Nemapogoninae
Perissomasticinae
Scardiinae
Setomorphinae
Siloscinae
Stathmopolitinae
Teichobiinae
Tineinae
Genera incertae sedis
These fungus moths have not been assigned to a subfamily with a reasonable amount of certainty:
Fossil record
- †Architinea Rebel, 1934
- †Architinea balticella Rebel, 1934
- †Architinea sepositella Rebel, 1934
- †Dysmasiites Kusnezov, 1941
- †Dysmasiites carpenteri Kusnezov, 1941
- †Electromeessia Kozlov, 1987
- †Electromeessia zagulijaevi Kozlov, 1987 (Baltic region, Eocene Amber)
- †Glessoscardia Kusnezov, 1941
- †Glessoscardia gerasimovi Kusnezov, 1941
- †Martynea Kusnezov, 1941
- †Martynea rebeli Kusnezov, 1941
- †Monopibaltia Skalski, 1974
- †Monopibaltia ignitella Skalski, 1974 (Baltic region, Eocene Amber)
- †Palaeoinfurcitinea Kozlov, 1987
- †Palaeoinfurcitinea rohdendorfi Kozlov, 1987 (Russia, Eocene Amber)
- †Palaeoscardiites Kusnezov, 1941
- †Palaeoscardiites mordvilkoi Kusnezov, 1941
- †Palaeotinea Kozlov, 1987
- †Palaeotinea rasnitsyni Kozlov, 1987
- †Paratriaxomasia Jarzembowski, 1980
- †Paratriaxomasia solentensis Jarzembowski, 1980
- †Proscardiites Kusnezov, 1941
- †Proscardiites martynovi Kusnezov, 1941
- †Pseudocephitinea Kozlov, 1987
- †Pseudocephitinea svetlanae Kozlov, 1987 (Russia, Eocene Amber)
- †Scardiites Kusnezov, 1941
- †Scardiites meyricki Kusnezov, 1941
- †Simulotenia Skalski, 1977
- †Simulotenia intermedia Skalski, 1977
- †Tillyardinea Kusnezov, 1941
- †Tillyardinea eocaenica Kusnezov, 1941
- Tinea Linnaeus, 1758
- †Tinea antique Rebel, 1822
- †Tineitella T. B. Fletcher, 1940
- †Tineitella crystalli Kawall, 1876 (originally in Tineites)
- †Tineitella sucinacius Kozlov, 1987 (originally in Tineites)
- †Tineolamima Rebel, 1934
- †Tineolamima aurella Rebel, 1934
- †Tineosemopsis Skalski, 1974
- †Tineosemopsis decurtatus Skalski, 1974
References
Further reading
- Key works
- Dugdale, J.S., 1988. Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue and keys of family-group taxa. Fauna of New Zealand, 14: 1–262.
- Gaedike, R. 1983. Zur Kenntnis der paläarktischen Tineiden Die Gattung Infurcitinea Spuler, 1910 (Lepidoptera). Entomologische Abhandlungen, Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde, Dresden, 46: 121–150.
- Gaedike, R. 1985. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der paläarktischen Tineiden: Gattung Obesoceras Petersen, 1957 (Lepidoptera). Entomologische Abhandlungen, Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde, Dresden, 48: 167–181.
- Hinton, H.E. 1956. The larvae of the species of Tineidae of economic importance. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 47: 251–346.
- Leraut, P., 1985. Mise a jour de la liste des Tineides de la faune de France. Entomologica Gallica, 1(4): 319–325.
- Petersen, G. 1957–8. Die Genitalien der paläarktischen Tineiden. Beiträge zur Entomologie, 7: 55–176, 338–380, 557–595; 8: 111–118, 398–430.
- Robinson, G.S. 1979. Clothes-moths of the Tinea pellionella complex: a revision of the world's species (Lepidoptera: Tineidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology, 38: 57–128, figs 1–103.
- Zagulajev, A.K. 1960. Tineidae; part 3 - subfamily Tineinae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 78: 1–267, 231 figs, 3 pls. [Translation, 1975, New Delhi.]
- Zagulajev, A.K. 1964. Tineidae; part 2 - subfamily Nemapogoninae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 86: 1–424, 385 figs, 1 pl. [Translation, 1968, Jerusalem.]
- Zagulajev, A.K. 1973. Tineidae; part 4 - subfamily Scardiinae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 104: 1–126, 99 figs, 2 pls.
- Zagulajev, A.K. 1975. Tineidae; part 5 - subfamily Myrmecozelinae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 108: 1–426, 319 figs, 8 pls. [Translation, 1988, New Delhi.]
- Zagulajev, A.K. 1979. Tineidae; part 6 - subfamily Meessiinae. [In Russian.] Fauna SSSR, 119: 1–409.
- Zagulajev A K. 1988 English translation (original 1975). Clothes Moths (Tineidae) (English translation of Nastoyaschie Moli (Tineidae)).Akademiya Nauk SSSr, Zoologicheskii Institut, New series No. 108
