Chimabachidae Overview
This
family is defined by: 1) the swollen metathoracic tibia and tarsi of the larva,
unique within Gelechioidea, 2) Larval D1 setae on A9 closer to each other than
the D2 setae, 3) transtilla present, 4) aedeagus free instead of being fused with
surrounding diaphragma, 5) antennal pecten absent, and 6) ocellus, when present,
distant from eye (Hodges, 1998).
This subfamily includes
only six species in two genera (Cheimophila, Diurnea) that occur in the
Palearctic Region from Western Europe to Japan. One species, C. salicella (Hübner) has been introduced into northwestern North America (Hodges, 1998)
Larvae feed in shelters of leaves or flower buds and on flowers, fruit, and leaves
of several families of dicots, including Betulaceae, Cornaceae, Salicaceae, Fagaceae,
Myricaceae, and Rosaceae.
References: Hodges
(1974, 1998), MacKay (1972), Minet (1990), Palm (1989), Patocka (1989), Raine
(1966), Saito (1979), Toll (1964).
