Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Family Argyresthiidae - Shiny Head-Standing Moths

Tiny Moth - Argyresthia subreticulata Argyresthia oreasella Arborvitae Leafminer - Argyresthia moth - Argyresthia Argyresthia apicimaculella - Argyresthia Argyresthia calliphanes or goedartella ? - Argyresthia Pennsylvania Moth - Argyresthia austerella Arizona Moth for ID - Argyresthia
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Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Yponomeutoidea (Ermine Moths and kin)
Family Argyresthiidae (Shiny Head-Standing Moths)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
In the past, considered to be a subfamily of Yponomeutidae (Argyresthiinae).
Explanation of Names
Named for the type genus Argyresthia. Generic epithet Argyresthia is Greek meaning "silver dress." (1)
Numbers
All 52 spp in the family, north of Mexico, are in the genus Argyresthia per Arnett (1985) (2)
Food
Larvae are miners of woody plants, mainly conifers, although a few angiosperms also are recorded, e.g., apple, Malus (Rosaceae). Larvae of some argyresthiid species occur in large enough numbers that they are considered pests.
Remarks
Some of the information from this guide page was taken from another page created by Anita Gould and Mike Quinn.
Print References
Busck, A. 1907. Revision of the American moths of the genus Argyresthia. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 32: 5-24.
Internet References
Family Argyresthiidae - Microleps.org
Works Cited
1.An accentuated list of the British Lepidoptera, with hints on the derivation of the names.
Anonymous. 1858. The Entomological Societies of Oxford and Cambridge.
2.American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.