Superfamily Adeloidea - Fairy Moths and kin

Incurvarioidea

119 species in 5 families in North America listed in Pohl, et al. 2016 provisional checklist(1)

Five families (according to Arnett) plus the introduced South American and South African family Cecidosidae.

Small, without ocelli and with a short proboscis with scales near the base; the hind wings have a strong frenulum.

Below is a guide to the local subfamilies of Adeloidea. The images included are meant to be illustrative of the general appearance of each subfamilies as an aid for narrowing down possibilities for identification. While the commonest elements of forewing maculation in each subfamilies are represented, many patterns are not.

Prodoxidae

Heliozelidae

Adelidae

Incurvariidae                                                                                            Tridentaformidae

                

Larvae are leafminers when small but later cut out flattened cases to be used as shelters and pupal cases; some form cases from flower parts.