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LEPIDOPTERA, Cosmopterigidae -- <Images> & <Juveniles>

Please refer also to the following link for details on this group:

Cosmopterigidae: Link 1

Description & Statistics

Cosmopterigidae (cosmet moths) is a family of insects in the order Lepidoptera. They are all small moths with narrow wings whose tiny larvae feed internally on leaves, seeds, stems, etc of their host plants. There are 106 genera 1,629 described species as of 2011. In North America there are 26 genera and ca. 182 species. The family is most diverse in the Australian and Pacific region with about 783 species.

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References: Please refer to <biology.ref.htm>, [Additional references may be found at: MELVYL Library]

Hodges, R. W. 1969. Nearctic Walshiidae notes and new taxa (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea). Smithson. contrib. Zool. 18: 30 pp.

Hodges, R. W. 1978. Fascicle 6.1 Gelechioidea Cosmopterigidae in Dominick et al. The moths of America north of Mexico. E. W. Classey Ltd. London. 166 pp.

Hodges, R. W. 1999. Chapter 9. The Gelechioidea, pp. 132- 158 in Kristensen, Neils P. ed.. Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies. Part 35, Vol. 1 in Handbook of Zoology. Maximilian Fischer ed. Walter de Gryter, New York. 491 pp.