25. Xyloryctidae – teardrop moths

Small (12–18 mm wingspan) moths with narrow lanceolate wings. Most species have dark wings and rather wide bodies relative to those of other narrow-winged groups. Adults rest with the wings folded around the body in the shape of an elongate teardrop. Many species are diurnal. Th e larvae of most species construct webs from which they feed on leaves. A few species are miners.

The family Xyloryctidae consists of approximately 1200 described species worldwide. Species richness is particularly notable in arid regions. Forty-two species are known in North America, all in the subfamily Scythridinae, which was considered a separate family before Hodges (1999a). Six species are known to occur in AB. The family was revised for North America by Landry (1991), who estimated that only 10% of Nearctic species had been described.