Cossidae

"Goat Miller" redirects here. For the species called "Goat Miller", see Cossus cossus.

Cossidae
Cossula magnifica (Cossulinae)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Cossoidea
Family:	Cossidae
Subfamilies
Cossinae Cossulinae Hypoptinae Metarbelinae Ratardinae Zeuzerinae

Cossidae, the cossid millers or carpenter millers, make up a family of mostly large miller moths. Ths family contains over 110 genera with almost 700 known species, and many more species await description. Carpenter millers are nocturnal Lepidoptera found worldwide, except the Southeast Asian subfamily Ratardinae which is mostly active during the day.

Witchetty grubs of the Zeuzerinae Endoxyla leucomochla

This family includes many species with large caterpillars and moths with a wingspan from 9–24 cm (6¾ in). These moths are mostly grey in color; some have long narrow wings and resemble hawkmoths (Sphingidae) which are more advanced Macrolepidoptera however. Many are twig, bark or leaf mimics, and Cossidae often have some sort of large marking at the tip of the forewing uppersides, conspicuous in flight but resembling a broken-off twig when the animals are resting. Most cossid caterpillars are tree borers, in some species taking up to three years to mature. The caterpillars pupate within their tunnels; they often have an unpleasant smell, hence another colloquial name is goat moths.

The family includes the Carpenterworm (Prionoxystus robiniae) and the Goat Moth (Cossus cossus) which have gained notoriety as pests. On the other hand, the large caterpillars of species that do not smell badly are often edible. Witchetty grubs – among the Outback's most famous bush tucker – are most commonly the caterpillars of Endoxyla leucomochla, one of the more than 80 cossid species in Australia. In Chile, the sweet-smelling caterpillars of the Chilean Moth (Chilecomadia moorei) are harvested in quantity and internationally traded as butterworms, for use as pet food and fishing bait.

Systematics

Some other families, such as Dudgeoneidae, Metarbelidae and Ratardidae, have been included within this one time and again. The first is considered a distinct family of the Cossoidea today recognizable by their abdominal tympanal organs which the Cossidae lack, whereas the other two are usually kept in the Cossidae as subfamilies. Some unrelated millers were included in the Cossidae in error too, such as the genus Holcoceroides which are more primitive Ditrysia, or the Andesianidae which are even more ancient Heteroneura.

The Cossidae are today usually divided into six subfamilies, but numerous genera still await placement. The subfamilies, with selected genera and some notable species, are:^[1]

Specimens of the large Zeuzerinae genus Xyleutes

Subfamily Cossinae Subfamily Cossulinae Biocellata Davis, Gentili-Poole & Mitter, 2008 Cossula Bailey, 1882 Magulacra Davis, Gentili-Poole & Mitter, 2008 Simplicivalva Davis, Gentili-Poole & Mitter, 2008 Spinulata Davis, Gentili-Poole & Mitter, 2008 Subfamily Hypoptinae Acousmaticus Butler, 1882 Givira Walker, 1856 Hypopta Hübner, 1820 Inguromorpha H.Edwards, 1888 (tentatively placed here) Langsdorfia Hübner, [1821] Subfamily Metarbelinae Aethiopina Gaede, 1929 Arbelodes Karsch, 1896 Encaumaptera Hampson, 1893 Indarbela Fletcher, 1922 Lebedodes Holland, 1893 Marshalliana Aurivillius, 1901 Melisomimas Jordan, 1907 Metarbela Holland, 1893 Metarbelodes Strand, 1909 Paralebedella Strand, 1923 Saalmulleria Mabille, 1891 Salagena Walker, 1865 Squamicapilla Schultze, 1908 Squamura Heylaerts, 1890 Stenagra Hampson, 1920 Subarchaeopacha Dufrane, 1945 Teragra Walker, 1855

Subfamily Ratardinae Subfamily Zeuzerinae Azygophleps Hampson, [1893] Endoxyla Herrich-Schäffer, 1854 Endoxyla leucomochla Eulophonotus Felder, 1874 Hamilcara Barnes & McDunnough, 1910 (tentatively placed here) Morpheis Hübner, 1820 (tentatively placed here) Phragmacossia Schawerda, 1924 (tentatively placed here) Phragmataecia Psychonoctua Grote, 1865 (tentatively placed here) Trismelasmos Schoorl, 1990 (tentatively placed here) Xyleutes Hübner, 1820 Zeuzera Latreille, 1804

Zyganisus caliginosus belongs to an Australian genus of unclear affiliations

Incertae sedis

Achthina Acritocera Acyttara Adelopsyche Allocryptobia Allostylus Anastomophleps Arctiocossus[verification needed] Austrocossus Brevicyttara Breyeriana Callocossus Carohamilia Catoxophylla Charmoses Coryphodema Cossodes Costria Degia Dimorphoctena Clench, 1957 Dolecta

Eremocossus Eugivira Givarbela Clench, 1957 Gurnetia Hemilipia Holcocerus Isocossus Lentagena Macrocossus Meharia Mekla Neostygia Nomima Oreocossus Paracossus Pecticossus Philanglaus Philiodoron Clench, 1958 Phragmatoecioides Pseudurgis Psychidarbela

Psychidocossus Psychogena Ptilomacra Puseyia Ravigia Rethona Rhizocossus Clench, 1958 Schausiania Sinicossus Clench, 1959 Stygioides Sympycnodes Synaptophleps Theatrista Trigonocyttara Westia Xyleutites Zeuzeropecten Zeuzerops Zyganisus

Footnotes

1. ^ Pitkin & Jenkins (2004) and see references in Savela (2006)

References

• Pitkin, Brian & Jenkins, Paul (2004): Butterflies and Moths of the World, Generic Names and their Type-species – Cossidae. Version of 2004-NOV-05. Retrieved 2009-FEB-28.
• Savela, Markku (2006): Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms – Cossidae. Version of December 28, 2006. Retrieved February 28, 2009.

External links

• Flickr Cossidae