Yponomeutoidea

Yponomeutoidea is a superfamily of ermine moths and relatives. There are about 1,800 species of Yponomeutoids worldwide, most of them known to come from temperate regions.^[1] This superfamily is one of the earliest groups to evolve external feeding and to colonize herbs in addition to shrubs and trees.^[1]

Yponomeutoidea
Ermine moth, Yponomeuta evonymella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Clade:	Ditrysia
Superfamily:	Yponomeutoidea
Families
See text
Diversity
Over 1,500 species of micromoths

Families

The family composition of Yponomeutoidea has varied over time, with a 2013 study assigning eleven families:^[2]

• Argyresthiidae
• Attevidae
• Bedelliidae
• Glyphipterigidae
• Heliodinidae
• Lyonetiidae
• Plutellidae
• Praydidae
• Scythropiidae
• Yponomeutidae
• Ypsolophidae

Etymology

The word Yponomeutoidea comes from the Ancient Greek ὑπό (ypo) meaning under and νομός (nomós) meaning food or dwelling, thus "feeding secretly, or burrow".^[3]