The Plutellidae are a family of moths commonly known as the diamondback moths, named after the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) of European origin. It was once considered to have three subfamilies: Plutellinae, Praydinae, and Scythropiinae. Praydinae was later elevated to its own family, Praydidae, while Scythropiinae has variously been moved to Yponomeutidae or also elevated to its own family.
Characteristics Moths in this family are small to medium in size with wingspans ranging from . The head usually bears smooth scales and the antennae are often thickened in the middle. The wings are elongated and the hindwings often bear long fringes. The forewings often appear to be sickle-shaped because of the arrangement of the fringes. The colouring is generally drab, with various banding and marking. The adults are mostly nocturnal or crepuscular. The larvae feed on the surfaces of leaves which they skeletonise. The host plants vary, but many are in the family Brassicaceae. Some species are economic pests, especially Plutella xylostella.
Genera Below are the genera of the family Plutellidae:
Angoonopteryx Moriuti, 1983 Anthonympha Moriuti, 1971 Araeolepia Walsingham, 1881 Arrhetopista Meyrick, 1936 Automachaeris Meyrick, 1907 Baerenschenkia Mey, 2011 Bahrlutia Amsel, 1935 Cadmogenes Meyrick, 1923 Calliathla Meyrick, 1931 Charitoleuca Meyrick, 1938 Charixena Meyrick, 1920 Chrysorthenches Dugdale, 1996 Circoxena Meyrick, 1916 Conopotarsa Meyrick, 1913 Deryaxenistis Mey, 2011 Diastatica Meyrick, 1938 Diathryptica Meyrick, 1907 Dieda Diakonoff, 1955 Dolichernis Meyrick, 1891 Doxophyrtis Meyrick, 1914 Eidophasia Stephens, 1842 Embryonopsis Eaton, 1875 Endozestis Meyrick, 1933 Eudolichura Clarke, 1965 Genostele Walsingham, 1900 Gypsosaris Meyrick, 1909 Helenodes Meyrick, 1913 Hyperxena Meyrick, 1882 Lepocnemis Meyrick, 1913 Leuroperna Clarke, 1965 Leuroptila Turner, 1923 Lunakia Klimesch, 1941 Melitonympha Meyrick, 1927 Niphodidactis Meyrick, 1938 Orthenches Meyrick, 1885 Orthiostola Meyrick, 1927 Paraxenistis Meyrick, 1919 Phalangitis Meyrick, 1907 Philaustera Meyrick, 1927 Phylacodes Meyrick, 1905 Pliniaca Busck, 1907 Plutella Schrank, 1802 Plutellites Kozlov, 1988 Plutelloptera Baraniak, 2007 Proditrix Dugdale, 1987 Protosynaema Meyrick, 1885 Psychromnestra Meyrick, 1924 Rhigognostis Zeller, 1857 Scaeophanes Meyrick, 1932 Spyridarcha Meyrick, 1913 Stachyotis Meyrick, 1905 Subeidophasia Weber, 1938 Tonza Walker, 1864 Tritymba Lower, 1894 Zarcinia Chretien, 1915
Excluded genera and species The fungus moth Erechthias niphochrysa was also once included here, as a distinct genus Acrocenotes.
The family Acrolepiidae (including the genera Acrolepia, Acrolepiopsis, and Digitivalva) is sometimes included in the Plutellidae.
References
, 2011: New and little known species of Lepidoptera of southwestern Africa. Esperiana Buchreihe zur Entomologie Memoir 6: 146–261. , 2012: Phrealcia steueri n. sp. und P. friesei n. sp. - zwei neue Arten einer disjunkt verbreiteten Gattung (Lepidoptera, Ypsolophidae). Entomologische Nachrichten und Berichte 56:53- 57. . Butterflies and Moths of the World: Generic Names and their Type-species. Natural History Museum.. , 2012: Catalogue of the type specimens of Yponomeutoidea (Lepidoptera) in the collection of the United States National Museum of Natural History. Zootaxa 3573: 1–17. Abstract: .