Pterophoridae

Pterophoridae

[‚ter·ə′fȯr·ə‚dē]

(invertebrate zoology)

The plume moths, a family of the lepidopteran superfamily Pyralidoidea in which the wings are divided into featherlike plumes, maxillary palpi are lacking, and the legs are long.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Pterophoridae

 

(also Alucitidae), a family of crepuscular insects (moths). The gray or brown narrow wings lie at a right angle to the body when at rest. The forewings are usually two-lobed, and the hind wings three-lobed. The legs are long. The hairy caterpillars live within leaf shoots (chiefly of Compositae), on which they feed. The pupae generally have no cocoon but hang suspended from the plant by their tail. Only a few species spin cocoons. There are about 1,200 species, distributed throughout the world. They are found primarily in tropical regions. Of the approximately 140 species encountered in the USSR, some cause damage to decorative and agricultural plants. The species Platyptilia rhododactyla damages rosebuds.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.