Arūnas Diškus - VPU biblioteka - Vilniaus pedagoginis universitetas

According to updated and newly reviewed host-plant data, the world
Nepticuloidea & Tischerioidea are trophically associated with 66 plant families:
most species occur on Rosaceae (123 species) and Fagaceae (93 species); to a
lesser extent, but still widely utilised, are such families as: Rhamnaceae (32 species),
Asteraceae (31 species), Fabaceae (31 species), Salicaceae (28 species) and
Betulaceae (27 species). In the light of host-plant data, the evolution of the
Nepticuloidea or Tischerioidea probably occurred by way of trophic adaptation to
7 plant subclasses from the 12 recognized; four of these host-plant subclasses are
common to all three studied moth families: Hamamelididae, Dilleniidae, Rosidae
and Lamiidae. Detailed review is given in the thesis or in published version in
Puplesis, Diðkus, 2003.
Fig. 15. Cilia-like sensilla chaetica on male antenna of Tischeria ekebladella (scale – 10 µm)
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NEW CLASSIFICATION TO THE TISCHERIIDAE
Morphology and biology
Characters which have most diagnostic importance for family recognition are:
1. Frontal tuft projecting over triangular (or trapezoid) face smoothly covered
with scales. 2. Numerous very long, distinct, cilia-like sensilla chaetica on male
antenna (fig. 15). 3. Scales on enlarged scapus projecting as a modified pecten
over eye. 4. Strongly narrowed aedeagus, usually bifurcated or with spines at apex
(fig. 16, see the structure in the middle). 5. Dark, short, strongly thickened, stout
peg setae on female ovipositor (usually visible even without dissection) (figs 18,
19). 6. Four to five apophyses pairs in female genitalia (fig. 22). For a detailed
description and a review on biology – see the doctoral dissertation or published
version in Diðkus, Puplesis, 2003) (figs 15–23).