Key
Key to the superfamilies of the Lepidoptera with special reference to
North and South Dakota
The following should serve as a key to the superfamilies and guide to the
families of Lepidoptera. This key is not perfect. However, in those areas where
identification is most difficult– families of the Gelechioidea, accurate
assignment of a given moth to the correct family requires dissection, clearing
and mounting of abdominal structures or a specialist; see Hodges (in
Kristiensen 1999).
In the key, numbers of species within families occurring on a worldwide basis
are estimates from Kristensen (1999). Numbers for North America are from Hodges et
al. 1983 and recent revisions. The number of species occurring from the
Dakotas is only definitively known for a few groups. However, based upon
available data, one fifth of the species found in North America provides a good
estimate. Rare groups, or those not commonly encountered by non-lepidopterists
are followed by an asterisk.
1. Antennae clavate or capitate,
hindwings without a frenulum (butterflies). Go to 2
1.’ Antennae filiform, serrate,
or pectinate, hws usually with a frenulum, always when antennae are clavate
(moths). Go to 3
2. Antennal club
elongate with a narrowed terminal portion (apiculus) which is often recurved.
Forewing with all veins arising from the discal cell or the wing base. Hesperioidea
The single included family is the Hesperiidae, Skippers. There are
about 3,050 species worldwide and 300 species in North America.
2.’ Antennal club not as above.
Fw with at least one branched vein beyond the discal cell. Papilionoidea
Approximately 14,500 species of Papilionoidea (True butterflies) are known.
In North America there are about 470 species. This superfamily is usually
divided into at least four Families:
Papilionidae– Swallowtails and Parnassians have forewing venation
quadrifid, hindwing with a single anal vein, and six walking legs.
Pieridae– Sulphurs and Whites have bifid tarsal claws, two anal
veins, and six walking legs, and are white, yellow or yellow-orange in color.
Lycaenidae– Gossamer-winged butterflies have eyes emarginate to the
antennae and the antennae usually annulate with black and white, annulations
as wide as long. The dorsal wing surface is usually lustrous.
Nymphalidae– Brush-footed butterflies have four walking legs. The
ventral surface of the antennae is tricarinate.
3. Forewing and
hindwing similar in shape and venation, Rs with four branches on both wings,
proboscis almost always absent, mouthparts often mandibulate. Go
to 4*
3.' F/hws dissimilar in shape and
venation, Rs with a single branch on the hindwing and at least three (usually
four) branches on the fw. Mouthparts never mandibulate, proboscis usually
present. (See also 3", below) Go
to 6
3." F/hws
atrophied and non-functional, or absent Go to 37
4. Hind tibial
spurs absent, wingspan more than 20 mm. Hepialoidea*
The single North American family is the Hepialidae,
Ghost moths or Swifts. There are 500 species worldwide and 20 in North
America.
4.’ Hind tibial spurs present,
wingspan less than 15 mm Go to 5
5. Functional
mandibles present, mid-tibiae without spurs Micropterigoidea*
The Micropterigidae, Mandibulate moths, are a group of 118 species
worldwide and two in North America.
5.’ Proboscis present, mid-tibiae
with a single spur Eriocranioidea*
Eriocraniidae, Woolly-head moths, contain fewer than 30 species
worldwide and 13 in North America. These moths have prominent ocelli and three
segmented labial palpi.
Acanthopteroctetidae are a small group of three species in Western North
America. These moths lack ocelli and have two segmented labial palpi.
6. Hindwings deeply
incised into three or six lobes. Go to 7
6.’ Hindwings entire, not divided
into lobes Go to 8
7. Fore and
hindwings divided into six lobes Alucitoidea*
The family Alucitidae,
Many plumed moths have about 130 members worldwide. The single North American
species also occurs in the northern Great Plains.
7.’ Fws divided into two lobes,
hws divided into three lobes. Pterophoroidea
The only included family is the Pterophoridae,
Plume moths. There are about 1,000 species worldwide and 145 in North America.
8. Moth wasp-like,
inner margin of forewing and costal margin of hindwing curled so as to
interlock. Hindwing with extensive clear areas. Sesioidea (part)
The Sesiidae, Clear-winged
moths, include 1,100 species worldwide and 123 in North America.
8.’ Wings not as above; clear
areas if present, appear as small windows at end of discal cell or wings mostly
transparent and moth bunblebee-like Go to 9
9. Proboscis
covered with scales at the base, moths usually small. Go to 10
9.’ Proboscis without scales at
the base, proboscis may be vestigial or absent in larger moths. Go
to 14
10. Antennae as
long or longer than forewings. Incurvarioidea* (part)
The Adelidae, Fairy moths, consist of about 120 species worldwide,
and 17 in North America.
10.’ Antennae shorter than
fws. Go to 11
11. Forewings
usually triangular, very rarely lanceolate, never linear. Tornal angle of
forewing forming nearly a right angle and with well developed tornus (corner).
Labial palpi almost always porrect and ‘snout-like.’ Hind wing with fringe
opposite discal cell less than 1/3 wing width. Tympanal organs almost always
present at base of abdomen (visible in fresh specimens in ventral view by
depressing abdomen). Go to 12
11.’ Fws never triangular,
usually rectangular, linear or lanceolate. Tornal angle of fw usually forming a
110- 120o angle and with tornus rounded. Labial
palpi usually erect, ‘tusk- like’ and projecting well beyond vertex.
Hindwing with fringe opposite discal cell usually > 1/3 wing width, often
longer than wing width. Tympanal organs absent. Go to 13
12. Tympanum
present at base of abdomen (visible in fresh specimens in ventral view by
depressing the abdomen). Maxillary palpi visible above labial palpi. Forewing
with at least one vein branched beyond discal cell Pyralioidea
Pyralidae, vein Rs4
of fw stalked with Rs 2+3, ventral abdomen
with praecinctorium absent. Worldwide about 6,100 species, at least 565 in
North America.
Crambidae, vein Rs4
of fw usually arising from discal cell, ventral abdomen with praecinctorium
present. Worldwide about 11,600 species, more than 850 in North America.
12.’ Tympanum absent. Maxillary
palpi minute, not visible above labial palpi. Forewing with all veins arising
from discal cell Sesioidea (part)*
The family Choreutidae includes about 350 species worldwide, 28 of
which occur in North America.
13. Wings
lanceolate, labial palpi drooping and with lateral bristles on second segment,
palpi shorter than head Tischerioidea*
This superfamily is represented by the single family, Tischeriidae,
with about 70 species worldwide. Of these, 47 are known from North America.
13.’ Wings broad or lanceolate,
labial palpi usually longer than head, upturned and extending well beyond vertex
Gelechioidea
This extensive superfamily is divided into a number of families. At least
nine of which occur in the northern Great Plains. See Hodges, Gelechioidea, in
Kristiensen (1999) for complete familial diagnoses.
Elachistidae are mostly
rectangular-winged moths in which Rs4 runs
to the costa or less often, apex. Abdomen without spiniform setae. Many
species have either an expanded anal angle on the hindwing or an
orange/yellow tipped abdomen. Worldwide there are about 3,200 species, 220
in North America.
Xyloryctidae are lanceolate winged moths with a convex hw margin and an
antennal pectin. 1,200 species worldwide and 40 from North America.
Glyphidoceridae are broadly lanceolate winged moths similar to broad
winged elachistids but with CuA1 and CuA2 stalked and downcurved from angle of
discal cell. About 50 species are known, eight in North America.
Oecophoridae in our area, most are lanceolate winged moths with a
contrasting wing pattern, often with annulate antennae and usually lacking
tergal setae on the abdomen. There are about 3,000 species worldwide and 40 in
North America.
Batrachedridae are lanceolate winged moths similar to the following
group, the dorsal abdomen with spiniform setae in two patches. There are about
100 species worldwide and 21 in North America.
Coleophoridae,
Case-bearers, include 1,400 species worldwide and 300 in North America. These
lanceolate winged moths are predominately white or metallic green. The
protibial epiphysis is usually small and placed distally. Paired patches of
spiniform setae or less often, transverse bands are present on abdomenal terga.
Autostichidae are
lanceolate winged moths having a transverse band of setae on most abdominal
segments. On the hindwing, Rs and M1 are
long-stalked. At least 300 species worldwide and 44 in North America.
Cosmopterigidae are
usually dark colored lanceolate winged moths having the forewings crossed by
gold or at least pale fasciae. The fore-tibial epiphysis is large and
leaf-like. There are 1,600 species worldwide and 180 in North America.
Gelechiidae are most easily
recognized by the trapezoidal shaped hindwings. At least 4,500 species are
known worldwide, of which 750 have been described from in North America.
14. Hindwing
fringe along outer margin (or opposite discal cell if present) as long or longer
than wing width. Go to 15
14.’ Hw fringe opposite discal
cell < ½ wing width. Go to 22
15. Maxillary
palpus four or five segmented, at least ½ as long as labial palpi. Go
to 16*
15.’ Maxillary palpus of three or
fewer segments, if four segmented then maxillary palpus minute and less than ½
length of 2nd segment of labial palpus . Go to 17
16. Antennal scape
enlarged and forming an eye cap, vertex with vestiture of erect scales. Nepticuloidea*
This superfamily contains two families in North America.
Nepticulidae are dark colored, often metallic moths with at least one
stalked vein on fw. About 800 species are known, 81 of which occur in North
America.
Opostegidae are usually white moths with all fw veins separate.
World-wide, 102 species are known, seven of which occur in North America.
16.’ Antennal scape without
eyecap, vertex with vestiture smooth. Incurvarioidea (part)*
The family Heliozelidae contains at least 100 species, 30 of which
occur in North America.
17. Hind tibiae
with stiff dorsal bristles or spinules. Go to 18*
17.’ Hind tibiae smooth scaled or
with elongate hair only. Go to 19
18. Forewing with
black scale tufts along inner margin, spurs of each hind tibial spur pair of
unequal lengths. Epermenioidea*
The family Epermeniidae
includes 83 species of which 11 occur in North America.
18.’ Fw without scale tufts,
spurs of each hind tibial spur pair subequal in length Schreckensteinioidea*
The only family is the Schreckensteiniidae containing the single
genus Schreckensteinia. This is a Holarctic family but all three
species occur in North America.
19. Ocelli
present, vertex smooth scaled, hind tibia smooth scaled dorsally. Go
to 20
19.’ Ocelli absent, vertex often
rough scaled, tibiae often hairy on dorsal surface. Go to 21
20. Forewings with
a vein terminating at costal and outer margins just above and below apex, fw
either with patches of metallic scales, or with a pale fascia parallel to inner
margin, hindwings with discal cell. Yponomeutoidea (part)
Plutellidae,
Diamondbacked moths, have a tufted vertex and hindwings with Rs, M1,
M3, and CuA1 all arising from the discal
cell. Worldwide there are about 100 species, of which 20 occur in North
America.
Acrolepiidae have a tufted vertex and veins M3,
and CuA1 of the hw stalked. There are 95 species worldwide and 3 in North
America.
Ypsolophidae (including Ochsenheimeriidae) either have Rs and M1
of the hw stalked, or have an intercalary cell (anal loop) on the fw of at
least 1/3 of the wing length. At least 130 species worldwide and 34 in North
America.
Heliodinidae contains at least 50 described species worldwide, 17 of
which occur in North America. These moths have patches of metallic scales on
the fws.
Glyphipterigidae,
Sedge moths, have large ocelli, a smooth scaled vertex, and the fws nearly
always with white crescents along costal and inner margins, in addition to the
metallic bands. There are 384 species worldwide, 36 in North America.
20.’ Fw with a vein running
directly to apex, fws without metallic scales or pale fascia along inner margin,
hw without discal cell. Gracillarioidea (part)*
The family Douglasiidae includes 25 species worldwide and five in
North America.
21. Hind tibiae
hairy on dorsal surface, if eye cap present then forewing with a vein running to
apex. Yponomeutoidea (part)
Bedelliidae includes 18 species in a single genus, two occur in
North America. These are somber colored moths lacking and eye cap and in the
fws, a vein does not run to the apex.
Lyonetiidae includes 209 species worldwide and 22 in North America.
These moths often have metallic fw scale patches, possess an eye cap and have
a vein terminating at apex.
21.’ Hind tibiae smooth scaled on
dorsal surface, if hairy then eye cap present and the fw with a stalked
vein terminating above and below apex. Gracillarioidea (part)
Gracillariidae with
about 2000 species worldwide and 271 in North America. These moths have the
tibiae smooth scaled on dorsal surface, lack an eye cap and most often have
the vertex smooth scaled.
Bucculatricidae includes about 250 species worldwide and 98 in North
America. These moths possess dorsal hair on the hind tibiae, an eye cap, and
usually the vertex is rough scaled.
22. Cubitus
posterior (CuP) present as a tubular vein on both wings from near base to outer
margin. Go to 23
22.’ CuP represented by a fold
parallel to inner margin, tubular at extreme base or on outer 1/4 of wing only. Go
to 24
23. Forewing
length (smallest males) > 15 mm, moths usually much larger. Forewings
with accessory cell and media stem present in discal cell. Abdomen extends for
at least half its length beyond hindwings. Cossoidea
The Cossidae, Carpenter
moths, number about 700 species worldwide and 45 in North America.
23.’ Fw length (largest females) <
15 mm, moths usually smaller. When fws with both accessory cell and media
stem, then abdomen only slightly longer than hws. Zyganoidea
Five families of Zyganoidea occur in North America.
Zygaenidae, Smoky moths or Burnets, have the abdomen extending beyond
the hindwings for more than ½ of its length. Forewings lack an accessory
cell. There are about 800 species worldwide and 22 species in North America.
Megalopygidae, Flannel moths are stout, hairy, round winged moths
with labial palpi atrophied and hidden in vestiture or absent. Forewings
lack an accessory cell. There are 230 species worldwide, 11 occur in North
America.
Limacodidae, Hag moths.
Labial palpi two or three segmented and at least weakly upturned. Forewings
lack an accessory cell. There are 1,000 species worldwide and 52 in North
America.
Dalceridae, Forewing with an accessory cell and at least one vein
stalked beyond discal cell. There are 84 species worldwide. A single species
occurs in Arizona.
Epipyropidae, Planthopper parasites, forewings with an accessory cell
but no stalked veins. There are 40 species worldwide and one in North
America.
24. Small to
medium sized moths with rectangular wings, CuA2 arising from basal 3/4 of
Cubitus stem. Meso-tibiae with bristly scales imparting a roughened appearance.
Frons with dorsal scales directed downward, ventral scales directed upward.
Males often with a costal fold at fw base. Tortricoidea
The single family Tortricidae
contains more than 6,100 species worldwide and nearly 2,200 in North America.
24.’ Small to very large moths,
without the above combination of characters. Go to 25
25. Small moths,
fw usually rectangular, CuA2 arising along distal 1/4 of cubitus stem, media
stem often present and tubular within discal cell (always if fw triangular). Go
to 26
25.’ Usually medium-sized to
large moths, fw triangular, CuA2 arising along basal 3/4 of cubitus stem, media
stem absent. Go to 30
26. Hind tibia
with bristly hair, hair-scales, or long loose hair above. Go
to 27
26.’ Hind tibia with closely
appressed flattened scales. Go to 29
27. Hind tibiae
with long loose hair at base on dorsal surface, antennae lamellate, palpi hardly
projecting beyond frons. Uroioidea*
The single included family, Urodidae, contains 65 species Worldwide,
only Urodus parvula Henry Edwards, occurs in North America.
27.’ Hind tibiae with long loose
hair or hair scales throughout length. Go to 28
28. Hindwing
cubitus stem with pectin, forewing with media stem absent. Copromorphoidea*
Two families make up this superfamily.
Copromorphidae have a rough scaled vertex, a smooth scaled frons, and
at least one branched vein beyond the discal cell. There are 60 species
worldwide, one in North America.
Carposinidae have the head entirely rough scaled and have forewing
veins arising directly from the discal cell. Worldwide there are 200 species,
11 of which occur in North America.
28.’ Hindwing cubitus stem
without pectin, forewing with media stem present in discal cell. Tineoidea
There are three North American families.
Tineidae can be recognized
by the single whorl of scales on each antennal flagellomere. The maxillary
palpi are usually folded over the base of the proboscis. There are 3,000
species worldwide and at least 113 in North America.
Acrolophidae, Burrowing
webworms can be recognized by the double whorl of scales on each antennal
flagellomere. The maxillary palpi are absent and labial palpi are usually long
and often recurved over the vertex. There are 250 species worldwide and 51 in
North America.
Psychidae, Bagworm moths, are morphologically very diverse. Adult males
can be triangular winged and without tibial spurs, or rectangular winged and
similar to Tineidae. Usually, each antennal flagellomere has two whorls of
scales. Psychids always have the media stem present on both wings and
atrophied nonfunctional mouthparts. There are 600 species worldwide and 26 in
North America.
29. Wings
aculeate, vertex with rough bristly vestiture, maxillary palpi long, of four or
five segments, folded over proboscis at rest. Incurvarioidea (part)*
Two families included here are the Incurvariidae and Prodoxidae.
Incurvariidae have the maxillary palpi length equal to 1/2 the head
width. Moths are generally somber colored or with alternating light and dark
bands. Worldwide there are about 194 species of which 7 occur in North
America.
Prodoxidae have the
maxillary palpi length equal to 3/4 the head width. Females possess an
additional tusk-like maxillary tentacle. Fw with media stem present in discal
cell. Moths are usually white or boldly patterned and have a metallic lustre.
There are at least 43 species Worldwide, of which 37 occur in North America.
29.’ Wings without aculeae,
vertex usually smooth scaled, maxillary palpi of three or fewer segments. Yponomeutoidea
(part)
The character which unites the Yponomeutoidea (difficult to see without a
microscopic slide preparation and secondarily lost in some groups) is the
possession of pleural lobes on abdominal segment 8.
Yponomeutidae,
(including Argyrestheinae) Ermine moths lack ocelli. Most species possess a
large accessory cell on the fw. Worldwide there are about 600 species, 80 in
North America.
30. Forewings with
all veins arising from discal cell. Go to 31*
30.’ Fws with at least one
branched vein from discal cell. Go to 32
31. Hw with basal
areole nearly ½ length of discal cell, fw usually with small transparent ‘window’
at end of discal cell. Thyridoidea*
The family Thyrididae, Window-winged moths, contain about 1,200
known species (fewer than 800 described), 12 species occur in North America.
31.’ Hw without basal areole, hw
black with orange areas, fw lacking ‘windows.’ Hyblaeoidea*
The family Hyblaeidae contains 18 species worldwide, of which 17
naturally occur in the Old World and one in the New World. A second Old World
species has been introduced to this hemisphere and occurs in southern Florida.
32. Tympanal
organs located on the metathorax or near the base of the abdomen. In hairy
moths, these are often hidden in the vestiture (A few wasp-like moths will have
lateral bulges in place of hearing organs, one butterfly-like species lacking a
tympanum has weakly clavate antennae). Moths almost always with a frenulum, and
a proboscis which is not longer than body. Abdomen rarely extends for more than
½ its length beyond hindwings. Moths medium to small in size, butterfly-like or
typical ‘millers.’ Go to 33
32.' Tympanal organs absent on
thorax or abdomen. Proboscis most often atrophied or absent when frenulum
atrophied or absent; if proboscis well developed (usually longer than the body),
then a frenulum is well developed and the abdomen extends for at least ½
its length beyond hindwings. Often very stout bodied and ‘woolly,’ medium to
large in size, many are among the largest of moths. Go to 35
33. Tympanum on
thorax, forewing venation most often quadrifid. Noctuoidea
This is the largest superfamily of Lepidoptera with approximately
40,000 species.
Notodontidae, Prominents,
includes 3,000 species worldwide and 137 in North America. One of two
noctuoid families with trifid fw venation. These moths are stout, with
hair-like body scales and usually camouflage coloration.
Doidae, is a small family of nine New World species, two of which
occur north of Mexico. Moths have trifid fw venation, are of a delicate ‘build,’
and are aposematically colored.
Pantheidae, have conspicuously hairy eyes and quadrifid hindwing
venation. These moths lack the counter-tympanal cavity present internally in the
Noctuidae. There are 16 species in North America.
Lymantriidae, Tussock moths,
contain 2,700 species worldwide and 31 species in North America. These moths
have divergent terminal setae on each ramus of their bi-pectinate antennae,
(North American species) lack ocelli and a proboscis.
Arctiidae, Tiger moths, have Sc
fused with R on the hindwing for at least 1/4 of the discal cell length. The
abdomen, or collar, is usually marked with orange or red. There are 11,000
species worldwide and 255 in North America.
Nolidae is a small family, moths
with the hw venation of Noctuidae and elongate bar-like male retinaculum of the
Arctiidae. There are 1,400 species worldwide and 29 in North America.
Noctuidae, Owlet moths, have Sc
and R of the hindwing just touching near the wing base. Abdomen virtually never
orange (none in the northern Great Plains). Most species have one or more of the
following: meso-tibiae with spine like setae, hairy eyes, dorsal tufts on up to
five abdominal segments, or frons glossy and without scales. There are
approximately 25,000 species worldwide, and about 2,350 in North America.
33.’ Tympanum on abdomen (absent
in one butterfly-like moth with clavate antennae from Arizona), fw venation most
often trifid. Go to 34
34. Antennae
lamellate and/or, forewing falcate and hindwing rounded, fw venation trifid or
quadrifid, hindwing with Sc+R and Rs parallel or forming a basal areole as long
or longer than discal cell, hw vein M2 present.
Forewing and hindwing usually with different patterns or moth white. Drepanoidea
The Drepanidae, include
1,000 species worldwide and 20 in North America.
34.’ Antennae never lamellate
usually bi-pectinate, fw not falcate when hw rounded, hw with Sc+R and Rs
forming a small basal areole or (rarely) divergent, vein M2 often
absent. F/hw usually with similar patterns or moth white. Geometroidea
There are three families in North America.
Geometridae,
Inchworms, with 20,000 species worldwide and 1,400 in North America. These
are butterfly-like moths. When the hindwing is notched or tailed, M2
is absent.
Uraniidae (including
Epiplemidae) contains 100 species worldwide and 9 in North America. These
moths have Sc+R and Rs divergent on the hws. Most U. S. species have the hws
notched opposite the discal cell and vein M2 present.
Senaturidae, are a small family of pantropical (almost all New
World) species. The single southwestern U. S. species has hairy eyes and
clavate antennae.
35. Forewing and
hindwing venation quadrifid. Lasiocampoidea
The single included family in North America is the Lasiocampidae,
Lappet moths and Tent caterpillars. In these moths, CuA2 of fw arisies along
basal 1/3 of Cu stem. There are about 2,200 species worldwide and 35 in North
America.
35.’ Fw and hw venation trifid. Go
to 36
36. Forewing
falcate, discal cell closed, palpi and proboscis vestigial, and antennae bi-pectinate.
Mimallonoidea
Members of the single family, Mimallonidae, have the frenulum
reduced to non-functional bristles. There are about 200 species worldwide and
4 in North America.
36.’ All characters not as above,
moths generally fall into two broad groups: 1) with frenulum well developed,
proboscis well developed and often longer than body, abdomen exceeding hws by at
least ½ its length; 2) lacking frenulum, mouthparts vestigial, antennae usually
quadri-pectinate, f/hw with a median ocellatus. Bombycoidea
Sphingidae, Hawkmoths,
Hummingbird moths, or Sphinx moths, have the abdomen extending beyond the
wings for at least ½ of its length, hindwings smaller than the forewings,
frenulum present. A few species with atrophied mouthparts have a hw ocellatus
and bi-pectinate antennae. There are 1,050 species worldwide and about 130 in
North America.
Saturniidae, Giant silk
moths, have atrophied mouthparts, lack a frenulum, usually possess
quadri-pectinate antennae and an ocellatus on each wing. There are about 1,300
species worldwide and at least 72 in North America.
Bombycidae (including Apatelodidae) have M1
stalked with Rs on hw. There are 250 species worldwide and five in North
America.
37. Moths in
larval case, without legs or wings. Tineoidea: Psychidae (part, see
couplet 28)
37.’ Moths outside of larval
case, legs present, wings present or absent. Go to 38
38. Ocelli
absent. Go to 39
38.' Ocelli present. Go
to 40*
39. Tibial
epiphysis present, slender legged smooth scaled moths. Geometroidea: Geometridae
(part, see couplet 34)
39.’ Tibial epiphysis absent,
stout legged hairy moths. Noctuoidea: Lymantriidae
(part, see couplet 33)
40. Aquatic, palpi
very small, hind tibia and tarsus with a fringe of hair along dorsal
surface. Pyraloidea: Crambidae
(part, see couplet 12)*
40.’ Not aquatic, palpi usually
extending beyond front, tibia with long loose hair. Go to 41
41. Proboscis with
scales, labial palpi upturned and extending sickle-like beyond vertex. Gelechioidea:
Oecophoridae (part, see couplet 13)*
41.’ Proboscis without scales, or
atrophied, labial palpi not extending beyond vertex. Go to
42*
42. Body length
> 1 cm, frons with hair-scales projecting out and down. These are moths of
the arctic. Noctuoidea (part, see couplet 33)*
Noctuidae, meso and
meta-tibiae with spines.
Arctiidae, meso and
meta-tibiae without spines.
42.' Body < 1 cm, frons with
scales on upper half oriented downward, on lower half oriented upward. Tortricoidea:
Tortricidae (part, see
couplet 24)*
|