British Insects: the Families of Lepidoptera
Adults mainly diurnal; relatively medium-bodied to long-bodied; medium built (wingspan more than 8 and less than 15 times the thoracic width); wings in repose packed with the forewings directed backwards to cover hindwings and abdomen.
Antennae of medium length; extending to about 0.5–0.75 times the length of the forewing. Antennae of males simple; long fasciculate-ciliate. The antennal scape without a pecten. Ocelli present (prominent). Chaetosemata present (rarely), or absent. Maxillary palps well developed, or much reduced (very small); 1 segmented. Labial palps ascending; 3 segmented. Proboscis fully developed; scaly towards the base.
Wingspan 10–12 mm; 10–11 times the thoracic width. Forewings narrow to broad; about 2.7 times as long as wide; the outer margin convexly curved; apically blunt; exhibiting shining-metallic markings. Hindwings ovate; similar in breadth to the forewings; with a rounded apex. The fringe of the hindwings about 0.5 times the width of the membrane. The upper surfaces conspicuously patterned above (then dark with white marks), or plain; with transverse lines (white sub-terminal lines or spots), or with neither discal spot nor transverse lines; hindwings with a frenulum.
Neuration of forewings and hindwings dissimilar. Forewings 13 veined; with 2 anal veins. The anal veins of the forewings comprising 1b and 1c. Forewings exhibiting a tubular vein 1c (?). Vein 1b of the forewings furcate proximally. The transverse vein complete. Hindwings with well developed neuration; 10 veined; with 3 anal veins. The anal veins of the hindwings comprising 1a, 1b and 1c. Hindwings exhibiting a tubular vein 1c; with a discal cell. The transverse vein complete. 6 veins arising from the hindwing cell. The cell-derived hindwing veins 3+4 proximally joined (connate or stalked). Vein 8 of the hindwings completely independent of the cell; not approximating to vein 7.
Fore-legs with a tibial epiphysis. Tibiae of middle legs 2-spurred. Posterior tibiae 4-spurred; not hairy.
Eggs, larvae and pupae. Eggs not flattened (?); smooth or minutely pitted. Larval prolegs 10. Larvae concealed feeders (in spun leaves or seeds). On herbaceous Dicots.
Pupae concealed; above the ground. Empty pupae protruded from place of concealment.
British representation. Genera 4; 6 species. Choreutis pariana (Apple Leaf Skeletonizer), Prochoreutis myllerana (Miller's Nettle-tap), etc.
Classification. Microlepidoptera. Suborder Ditrysia. Superfamily Choreutoidea.
Illustrations. • Prochoreutis myllerana (Miller's Nettle-tap: B. Ent. 320). • Prochoreutis myllerana (detail, dissections: B. Ent. 320). • Prochoreutis myllerana: B. Ent. 320, legend+text. • Prochoreutis myllerana: B. Ent. 320, text cont.. • Choreutis pariana, C. nemorana (Hübner), Anthophila fabriciana, A. urticana (Hübner): Hübner 1796–1833.
To view illustrations with legends giving names in current use, go to the interactive key. This also offers full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa, as well as source references and other relevant material.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the families of Lepidoptera. Version: 29th December 2011. http://delta-intkey.com’.