Cosmopterigidae Overview
This
family has been defined by the following: 1) gnathos absent, 2) aedeagus ankylosed,
3) female retinaculum with a series of anteriorly directed scales between CuA
and R or series of anteriorly directed scales on R, 4), hindwing with M3 and
CuA1 usually separate (Hodges, 1998). Hodges divided the family into three subfamilies:
Chrysopeleiinae, Antequerinae, and Cosmopterigidae, although the subfamily Scaeosophinae
occurring in the Old World tropics is recognized by Koster and Sinev (2003).
Koster and Sinev (2003) also have recognized Chrysopeleiidae as a separate family.
Cosmopterigidae
has a worldwide distribution except Oceania and includes about 270 species in
22 genera (Hodges, 1998).
References: Common
(1990), Fletcher (1933), Hodges (1978), Koster & Sinev (2003), Kuroko (1982), Riedl (1969), Sinev (2002a), Stehr (1987), Zagulyaev & Sinev (1981), Zimmerman
(1978).
Chrysopeleiinae
Hodges (1998) defined
his subfamily by the hindwing having an open cell and the uncus present or absent,
but if present, not forming two, asymmetric separate lobes. However, Koster
and Sinev (2003) presented justification for giving family rank to Chrysopeleiinae
(=Walshiidae Hodges, 1962). In particular, Koster and Sinev (2003) argue that
the specialized characters in Cosmopteriginae + Antequerinae (sensu Hodges,
1998) evolved independently in Chrysopeleiinae and are not homologous.
Larvae feed primarily on hosts in Fabaceae, Tamariaceae, Polygonaceae, and Rhamnaceae,
boring into buds, twigs, and branches, although some are leaf miners, gall makers,
or flower and seed feeders (Hodges, 1998; Koster and Sinev, 2003).
Chrysopeleiinae
includes about 270 species in 22 genera (Hodges, 1998). The subfamily has a
worldwide distribution except Oceania, but is most diverse in Central and southern
Asia, Africa and North America (Hodges, 1998; Koster and Sinev, 2003). About
85 species occur in America north of Mexico (Hodges, 1983).
References: Clarke
(1965), Hodges (1962, 1964, 1969, 1978, 1983), Kasy (1968a,b, 1969), Koster &
Sinev (2003), Mosher (1916), Riedl (1969), Zagulyaev & Sinev (1981).
Cosmopteriginae
Hodges (1998) defined
this subfamily by three parallelisms, 1) the vinculum weakly sclerotized or
open mesially, 2) asymmetrical male genitalia, 3) antennal pecten present, and
one polymorphy, hindwing with Rs and M1 separate or separate. Koster and Sinev
(2003) provide additional characteristics as follows: head often protruded at
frons, labial palpi long, thin, and sharply curved upward, eyes often with bright
red pigment, and ocelli absent; forewings lanceolate to linear, usually with
metallic markings, M1 and sometimes M2 stalked with R4+5; abdominal tergites
with intersegmental membrane sometimes bearing specialized transverse rows of
spinules; uncus absent, but compensated by developed, asymmetrical arms of gnathos
(brachia); aedeagus without cornuti; presence of unique pleural lobes of abdominal
segment VIII, covering the valval base or entire valva from the outside; female
with ostium always surrounded by a sterigma; corpus bursae usually with paired
signa. Adults have a distinctive resting position, with the hindlegs appressed
to or raised at an angle above the abdomen.
Larvae are leaf
miners or tiers, stem and root borers, and less frequently, seed feeders on
more than 26 families of plants, especially Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Fabaceae,
Lamiaceae, Pandanaceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae, Thypaceae, and Zamiaceae (Hodges,
1998; Koster & Sinev, 2003). Larvae of many tropical species are known to
scavenge on decaying plants, some are inquilines in galls made by wasps, and
others are predators on scale insects (Koster & Sinev, 2003).
The subfamily has
a worldwide distribution with 1350 species in 80 genera (Hodges, 1998). High
diversity occurs in the tropical regions of the New and Old Worlds where thousands
of species remain undescribed (Sinev, 2002).
References: Clarke
(1965), Common (1990), Hodges (1962, 1978), Koster & Sinev (2003), Riedl
(1969), Zagulyaev & Sinev (1981), Zimmerman (1978).
Antequerinae
Hodges (1998) defined
this subfamily by the female frenulum having three acanthae, the female retinaculum
usually a row of anteriorly directed scales between CuA and R, and the hindwing
with closure of the cell directed at a 45° angle from M2 towards the base
of the wing. In addition, the aedeagus is free, the valva is a single lobe and
the costal/saccular margins are not differentiated.
Larvae of Euclemensia
are known to be parasitoids of armored scale insects (Hodges, 1998).
The subfamily includes
8 species in four genera in North America and England (Hodges, 1998).
References: Hodges
(1978).
