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.jpg) Tineid moth
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Tineidae is a family of moths in the order Lepidoptera. The family contains approximately 3000 species. Most of the tineid moths are small or medium-sized, with wings held roofwise over the body at rest.
Tineids are unusual among Lepidoptera as the larvae of only a very small number of species feed on living plants, the majority feeding on fungi, lichens and detritus. The most familiar members of the family are the clothes moths, which have adapted to feeding on stored fabrics. The most widespread species are the Common Clothes Moth (Tineola bisselliella) and the Case-bearing Clothes Moth (Tinea pellionella).
One remarkable genus is Ceratophaga, whose members feed exclusively on pure keratin in the form of the horns and hooves of dead mammals and even the shells of dead tortoises.
Distribution
Systematics
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- This page was last modified on 15 September 2008, at 21:43.
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