Eriocraniidae

Pohl, Greg, Anweiler, Gary, Schmidt, Christian & Kondla, Norbert, 2010, An annotated list of the Lepidoptera of Alberta, Canada, ZooKeys 38 (38), pp. 1-549 : 48-49

1. Eriocraniidae – sparkling archaic sun moths

Minute (8–13 mm wingspan) moths with vestigial mandibles. The elongate–oval wings are often iridescent and are covered with long, hairlike scales. Th e wings are usually held like a tent over the body when at rest. Th is group can be separated from most other moths by the vestigial mandibles, and from the Acanthopteroctetidae by the presence of ocelli. Adults are diurnal, and most species fly early in the spring. Larvae are leaf blotch miners. Twenty-four species of eriocraniids are known worldwide, all from the Holarctic. Th irteen species occur in North America; only one is known from AB. The family was revised by Davis (1978a); a few more species may await discovery.

1 * R Eriocrania semipurpurella (Stephens, 1834) M Apr – L May – B – T: Davis (1978a)

L: Pohl et al. (2005) C: NFRC, UASM

Acanthopteroctetoidea

2. Acanthopteroctetidae – archaic sun moths

Small (11–16 mm wingspan) slender moths with vestigial mandibles. Adults often resemble small caddisflies, but may be brightly marked. Th ey can be separated from most other moths by the vestigial mandibles, and from the Eriocraniidae by the absence of ocelli. Little is known of the biology of this group; one California species is a leafminer on Ceanothus spp. ( Rhamnaceae ).

Five species of acanthopteroctetids are known worldwide; four of these are restricted to western North America. One species is known from AB, and another is likely to be found here. Th e family was revised by Davis (1978a); a few more species may await discovery.

1.1 * P Acanthopteroctetes tripunctata Braun, 1921 Jul M – – T: Davis (1978a)

2 * R Acanthopteroctetes bimaculata Davis, 1969 E Jun m B – T: Davis (1978a)

L: Pohl et al. (2004b) C: NFRC

Hepialoidea