Family Autostichidae

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Unidentified Micro moth - Glyphidocera lithodoxa

Juniper Tip Moth - Glyphidocera juniperella

Aurora Gerdana - Gerdana caritella - male

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Gelechioidea (Twirler Moths and kin)

Family Autostichidae

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Autostichidae Le Marchand, 1947

"Nearly all autostichid subfamilies have at least sometimes been considered, with dubious evidence, as families, or as subordinate to each other or to, for example, Gelechiidae or Oecophoridae, with a spectrum of combinations (see Bucheli, 2009 for an overview)" (1).

Numbers

25 species in 9 genera in our area (2). Six subfamilies are currently recognized (1), five of which occur in our area (2).

Size

wingspan in 10-20 mm range

Identification

"Autostichidae is a family that is hard to characterize as it appears to possess no unique synapomorphies, even though its monophyly is well supported" (1).

Range

represented throughout much of North America

also occurs in several areas of the world

Food

"The larvae are nearly always saprophagous" (1).

Print References

Bucheli, S.R., 2009. Annotated review and discussion of phylogenetically important characters for families and subfamilies of Gelechioidea (Insecta: Lepidoptera). Zootaxa 2261, 1-22.

Internet References

adult image of Oegoconia quadripuncta (Jack Astley, UK Moths)

classification history of genus Oegoconia showing placement in different families (Brian Pitkin et al, Butterflies and Moths of the World)

listing as family Symmocidae under superfamily Gelechioidea (Tree of Life, tolweb.org)

Works Cited

1.	Morphology reinforces proposed molecular phylogenetic affinities: a revised classification for Gelechioidea (Lepidoptera) Heikkilä, M., Mutanen, M., Kekkonen, M. and Kaila, L. 2014. Cladistics 30: 563–589.

2.	Annotated taxonomic checklist of the Lepidoptera of North America, North of Mexico Pohl, G.R., Patterson, B., & Pelham, J.P. 2016. ResearchGate.net.

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 16 October, 2005 - 9:07pm
Additional contributions by Kyhl Austin
Last updated 7 January, 2017 - 3:29pm

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