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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Twirler Moths and kin (Gelechioidea) » Batrachedridae

Family Batrachedridae

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Tiny Moth - Batrachedra busiris moth - Batrachedra Arizona Moth - Batrachedra enormis Moth - Batrachedra Moth - Batrachedra Batrachedra enormis? - Batrachedra enormis Very small inconspicuous moth at blacklight - Batrachedra Moth - Batrachedra
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 Batrachedridae
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
genera in this family have been included in the families Cosmopterigidae (by Fletcher, 1929), Momphidae (by Sattler & Tremewan, 1974), Coleophoridae (by Hodges, 1983, and by Nye & Fletcher, 1991), Batrachedridae (by Hodges in Kristensen, 1999), and Oecophoridae.
Explanation of Names
Batrachedridae is from the name of the genus Batrachedra
Numbers
24 species in 4 genera listed at All-Leps
Size
wingspan 18-28 mm, based on photos of three species by Jim Vargo at MPG
Identification
Adult: forewing very slender, parallel-sided for most of length, with pointed tip; variably whitish to yellowish to brown to light or dark gray with or without speckling and/or other markings; hindwing consists of a rod-like or spike-like midrib; all wings with long fringe of hair-like scales, very prominent in spread specimens, but hidden beneath forewings (which are hugged close to the body) in live individuals at rest
Range
represented in all main zoogeographical regions of the world
Season
adults of Homaledra heptathalama are present from March to October in Florida
Food
larvae of some Batrachedra species feed on leaves of poplar and willow; Homaledra larvae feed on leaves of palmetto (Sabal spp.)
See Also
other families in the superfamily Gelechioidea are similar
Print References
Hodges, R.W., 1966. Review of New World Species of Batrachedra, with Description of Three New Genera (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea). Transactions of the American Entomological Society. 92(4):585-651 (1)
Internet References
microleps.org
live adult image of Batrachedra praeangusta, a holarctic species (Jeff Higgoot, UK Lepidoptera)
pinned adult image of Batrachedra praeangusta (Kimmo & Seppo Silvonen, Finland)
pinned adult images of three species in two genera by Jim Vargo (Moth Photographers Group)
distribution (Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Belgium)
classification history (Brian Pitkin, Butterflies and Moths of the World)
classification of genus Homaledra in family Batrachedridae (All-Leps)
Works Cited
1.Review of New World species of Batrachedra with description of three new genera (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea).
Ronald W. Hodges. 1966. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 92(4): 585-651.
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 26 May, 2006 - 6:56pm
Additional contributions by Steve Nanz, Chuck Entz, ceiseman, Edward Ruden
Last updated 6 March, 2022 - 11:00am

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