Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
placed in a separate family (Momphidae) by Nye and Fletcher, 1991
placed in family Coleophoridae, subfamily Momphinae by Hodges in Kristensen, 1999; this is the classification followed by All-Leps and BugGuide
Numbers
45 species in North America listed at
All-LepsIdentification
Adults - tiny, stout moths with thick, diverging, upward turned palpi, and unusually upraised scale rows on the forewing
(1)
Larvae - stout, grublike, with fully functional thoratic legs
(1)Food
specialize on Onagraceae, the only Lepidopteran group to do so
(1) It also feeds on members of a few other families, like Fabaceae, Melastomataceae, Rhamnaceae, etc. (
Hosts)
Internet References
Illustrated Guide to Microlepidoptera - detailed descriptions with images of pinned adults and life cycles
classification history showing placement in family Momphidae by Nye and Fletcher, 1991, and placement in subfamily of Coleophoridae by Hodges
in Kristensen, 1999 (Butterflies and Moths of the World)