Heliodinidae

Family of moths

Heliodinidae

Xestocasis balanochrysa
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Yponomeutoidea
Family:	Heliodinidae Heinemann, 1877
Type genus
Heliodines Stainton, 1854
Diversity
About 400 species in 64 genera

Heliodinidae, commonly known as sun moths, is a family of small moths with slender bodies and narrow wings. Members of this family are found in most parts of the world. Heliodinid moths are brightly coloured day-flying moths. The base of the haustellum is bare. The scales on the head are compact and appear like a shield. Many Heliodinidae raise their hindlegs when resting but this is not a taxonomic feature and several genera like Epicroesa and Lamprolophus do not show this posture. Many Heliodinidae have the inner and outer spurs of the metatibia subequal. The larval host plants of the majority of species are in the Aizoaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Phytolaccaceae, Portulacaceae and Nyctaginaceae, all in the Order Caryophyllales. A few feed on Onagraceae, Araliaceae and Piperaceae. The pupae have long stiff hairs on their back sides.^[1]

Genera

The family includes the following genera:^[2]^[3]

Acanthocasis
Actinoscelis
Adamantoscelis
Aetole
Agalmoscelis
Amphiclada
Anypoptus
Athlostola
Atrijuglans
Beijinga
Bonia
Camineutis
Capanica
Chrysoxestis
Coleopholas
Copocentra
Craterobathra
Crembalastis
Cyanarmostis
Cycloplasis
Diascepsis
Echinophrictis
Ecrectica
Embola
Encratora
Epicroesa
Ethirastis
Gnamptonoma
Gymnogelastis
Gymnomacha
Haemangela
Heliodines
Heliogemma
Hemicalyptris
Hethmoscelis
Hierophanes
Lamprolophus
Lamproteucha
Leuroscelis
Lissocnemitis
Lithariapteryx
Lithotactis
Machaerocrates
Magorrhabda
Molybdurga
Neoheliodines
Philocoristis
Protanystis
Pseudastasia
Pteropygme
Scelorthus
Sisyrotarsa
Sobareutis
Thrasydoxa
Thriambeutis
Trichothyrsa
Trychnopepla
Wygodzinskyiana
Xestocasis

Former genera

Aenicteria
Coracistis
Lamachaera
Percnarcha
Placoptila
Zapyrastra has been listed in the Heliodinidae but is now part of Momphidae.^[4]

References

^ Hsu, Yu-Feng; Powell, J.A. (2004). Phylogenetic Relationships within Heliodinidae and Systematics of Moths Formerly Assigned to Heliodines Stainton (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea). Berkeley: University of California Press.
^ Pitkin, Brian & Jenkins, Paul (November 5, 2004). "Family: Heliodinidae". Butterflies and Moths of the World. Natural History Museum, London. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
^ Citizen science observations for Heliodinidae at iNaturalist
^ Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "Zapyrastra". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum. Retrieved 27 April 2020.

Extant Lepidoptera families

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Infraclass: Neoptera
Superorder: Holometabola

Suborder Zeugloptera

Micropterigoidea	Micropterigidae (mandibulate archaic moths)

Suborder Aglossata

Agathiphagoidea	Agathiphagidae (kauri moths)

Suborder Heterobathmiina

Heterobathmioidea	Heterobathmiidae

Suborder Glossata

Dacnonypha

Eriocranioidea	Eriocraniidae

Acanthoctesia

Acanthopteroctetoidea	Acanthopteroctetidae (archaic sun moths)

Lophocoronina

Lophocoronoidea	Lophocoronidae

Neopseustina

Neopseustoidea	Aenigmatineidae Neopseustidae (archaic bell moths)

Exoporia

Hepialoidea	Anomosetidae Hepialidae (swift moths, ghost moths) Neotheoridae (Amazonian primitive ghost moths) Palaeosetidae (miniature ghost moths) Prototheoridae (African primitive ghost moths)
Mnesarchaeoidea	Mnesarchaeidae (New Zealand primitive moths)

H
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Adeloidea	Adelidae (fairy longhorn moths) Cecidosidae Heliozelidae Incurvariidae Prodoxidae (yucca moths)
Andesianoidea	Andesianidae (Andean endemic moths)
Nepticuloidea	Nepticulidae (pigmy, or midget moths) Opostegidae (white eyecap moths)
Palaephatoidea	Palaephatidae (Gondwanaland moths)
Tischerioidea	Tischeriidae (trumpet leaf miner moths)

D
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Simaethistoidea	Simaethistidae
Tineoidea	Acrolophidae (burrowing webworm moths) Arrhenophanidae Eriocottidae (Old World spiny-winged moths) Psychidae (bagworm moths) Tineidae (fungus moths)
Gracillarioidea	Bucculatricidae (ribbed cocoon makers) Douglasiidae (Douglas moths) Gracillariidae Roeslerstammiidae
Yponomeutoidea	Acrolepiidae (false diamondback moths) Bedelliidae Glyphipterigidae (sedge moths) Heliodinidae Lyonetiidae Plutellidae Yponomeutidae (ermine moths) Ypsolophidae
Gelechioidea	Autostichidae Batrachedridae Blastobasidae Coleophoridae (case-bearers, case moths) Cosmopterigidae (cosmet moths) Elachistidae (grass-miner moths) Gelechiidae (twirler moths) Lecithoceridae (long-horned moths) Lypusidae Metachandidae Momphidae (mompha moths) Oecophoridae (concealer moths) Pterolonchidae Scythrididae (flower moths) Xyloryctidae (timber moths)
Galacticoidea	Galacticidae
Zygaenoidea	Heterogynidae Zygaenidae (burnet, forester, or smoky moths) Himantopteridae Lacturidae Somabrachyidae Megalopygidae (flannel moths) Aididae Anomoeotidae Cyclotornidae Epipyropidae (planthopper parasite moths) Dalceridae (slug caterpillars) Limacodidae (slug, or cup moths)
Cossoidea	Cossidae (carpenter millers, or goat moths) Dudgeoneidae (dudgeon carpenter moths)
Sesioidea	Brachodidae (little bear moths) Castniidae (castniid moths: giant butterfly-moths, sun moths) Sesiidae (clearwing moths)
Choreutoidea	Choreutidae (metalmark moths)
Tortricoidea	Tortricidae (tortrix moths)
Urodoidea	Urodidae (false burnet moths)
Schreckensteinioidea	Schreckensteiniidae (bristle-legged moths)
Epermenioidea	Epermeniidae (fringe-tufted moths)
Alucitoidea	Alucitidae (many-plumed moths) Tineodidae (false plume moths)
Pterophoroidea	Pterophoridae (plume moths)
Whalleyanoidea	Whalleyanidae
Immoidea	Immidae
Copromorphoidea	Copromorphidae (tropical fruitworm moths) Carposinidae (fruitworm moths)
Thyridoidea	Thyrididae (picture-winged leaf moths)
Calliduloidea	Callidulidae (Old World butterfly-moths)
Papilionoidea (butterflies)	Papilionidae (swallowtail butterflies) Hedylidae (American moth-butterflies) Hesperiidae (skippers) Pieridae (whites, yellows, orangetips, sulphurs) Riodinidae (metalmarks) Lycaenidae (gossamer-winged butterflies: blues, coppers and relatives) Nymphalidae (brush-footed, or four-footed butterflies)
Hyblaeoidea	Hyblaeidae (teak moths)
Pyraloidea	Pyralidae (snout moths) Crambidae (grass moth)
Mimallonoidea	Mimallonidae (sack bearer moths)
Lasiocampoidea	Lasiocampidae (eggars, snout moths, or lappet moths)
Bombycoidea	Anthelidae (Australian lappet moth) Apatelodidae (American silkworm moths) Bombycidae (silk moths) Brahmaeidae (Brahmin moths) Carthaeidae (Dryandra moth) Endromidae (Kentish glory and relatives) Eupterotidae Phiditiidae Saturniidae (saturniids) Sphingidae (hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms)
Noctuoidea	Erebidae (underwing, tiger, tussock, litter, snout, owlet moths) Euteliidae Noctuidae (daggers, sallows, owlet moths, quakers, cutworms, darts) Nolidae (tuft moths) Notodontidae (prominents, kittens) Oenosandridae
Drepanoidea	Drepanidae (hook-tips) Cimeliidae (gold moths) Doidae
Geometroidea	Sematuridae Pseudobistonidae Epicopeiidae (oriental swallowtail moths) Uraniidae Geometridae (geometer moths)
Superfamily unassigned	Millieriidae

Note: division Monotrysia is not a clade.

Taxon identifiers
Heliodinidae	Wikidata: Q140714 Wikispecies: Heliodinidae AFD: Heliodinidae BAMONA: Heliodinidae BioLib: 17330 BOLD: 447 BugGuide: 129858 CoL: 6252G EoL: 832 EPPO: 1HELNF Fauna Europaea: 1602 Fauna Europaea (new): ec1812dc-b4da-4727-a429-621d3293d12b GBIF: 3555 iNaturalist: 82516 IRMNG: 101761 ITIS: 118708 LepIndex: 119934 NBN: NBNSYS0000160135 NCBI: 1178388 Open Tree of Life: 680256