Tineid Moths

Tineidae is a family of moths in the order Lepidoptera described by Pierre André Latreille in 1810. Collectively, they are known as fungus moths or tineid moths. The family contains considerably more than 3,000 species in more than 300 genera. Most of the tineid moths are small or medium-sized, with wings held roofwise over the body when at rest. They are particularly common in the Palaearctic, but many occur elsewhere, and some are found very widely as introduced species.

Tineids are unusual among Lepidoptera as the larvae of only a very small number of species feed on living plants, the majority feeding on fungi, lichens, and detritus. The most familiar members of the family are the clothes moths, which have adapted to feeding on stored fabrics and led to their reputation as a household pest. The most widespread of such species are the common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella), the case-bearing clothes moth (Tinea pellionella), and the carpet moth (Trichophaga tapetzella); the brown-dotted clothes moth (Niditinea fuscella) despite its name, preferentially feeds on feathers in bird nests.

One remarkable genus is Ceratophaga, whose members feed exclusively on pure keratin in the form of the horns and hooves of dead mammals and even the shells of dead tortoises.

Systematics

Subfamilies and notable genera

Some species also are listed; for others see genus accounts.

Meessiinae

Myrmecozelinae

Tineinae

Genera incertae sedis

These fungus moths have not been assigned to a subfamily with a reasonable amount of certainty:

Fossil record

• †Architinea Rebel, 1934
  • †Architinea balticella Rebel, 1934
  • †Architinea sepositella Rebel, 1934
• †Dysmasiites Kusnezov, 1941
  • †Dysmasiites carpenteri Kusnezov, 1941
• †Electromeessia Kozlov, 1987
  • †Electromeessia zagulijaevi Kozlov, 1987 (Baltic region, Eocene Amber)
• †Glessoscardia Kusnezov, 1941
  • †Glessoscardia gerasimovi Kusnezov, 1941
• †Martynea Kusnezov, 1941
  • †Martynea rebeli Kusnezov, 1941
• †Monopibaltia Skalski, 1974
  • †Monopibaltia ignitella Skalski, 1974 (Baltic region, Eocene Amber)
• †Palaeoinfurcitinea Kozlov, 1987
  • †Palaeoinfurcitinea rohdendorfi Kozlov, 1987 (Russia, Eocene Amber)
• †Palaeoscardiites Kusnezov, 1941
  • †Palaeoscardiites mordvilkoi Kusnezov, 1941
• †Palaeotinea Kozlov, 1987
  • †Palaeotinea rasnitsyni Kozlov, 1987
• †Paratriaxomasia Jarzembowski, 1980
  • †Paratriaxomasia solentensis Jarzembowski, 1980
• †Proscardiites Kusnezov, 1941
  • †Proscardiites martynovi Kusnezov, 1941
• †Pseudocephitinea Kozlov, 1987
  • †Pseudocephitinea svetlanae Kozlov, 1987 (Russia, Eocene Amber)
• †Scardiites Kusnezov, 1941
  • †Scardiites meyricki Kusnezov, 1941
• †Simulotenia Skalski, 1977
  • †Simulotenia intermedia Skalski, 1977
• †Tillyardinea Kusnezov, 1941
  • †Tillyardinea eocaenica Kusnezov, 1941
• Tinea Linnaeus, 1758
  • †Tinea antique Rebel, 1822
• †Tineitella T. B. Fletcher, 1940
  • †Tineitella crystalli Kawall, 1876 (originally in Tineites)
  • †Tineitella sucinacius Kozlov, 1987 (originally in Tineites)
• †Tineolamima Rebel, 1934
  • †Tineolamima aurella Rebel, 1934
• †Tineosemopsis Skalski, 1974
  • †Tineosemopsis decurtatus Skalski, 1974

References

• Darby, Gene (1958). What is a Butterfly. Chicago: Benefic Press. p. 43.
• Global Taxonomic Database of Tineidae
• Common Clothes Moth
• A Caterpillar that Eats Tortoise Shells
• Tineid of Korea(closed, 2005~2019.12.23)
• Fauna Europaea