A phylogeny for the Tineoidea (Lepidoptera)

Abstract The Tineoidea, long considered a paraphyletic group, is re-examined using phylogenetic methods and shown to consist of two lineages. One, the "tineoid" lineage includes the Tineidae, Eriocottidae, Acrolophidae and Psychidae. The Psychidae are suggested to be paraphyletic if the Pseudarbelidae and Arrhenophanidae are retained as separate families. The "tineoid" lineage is suggested to be the sister-group of the remaining Ditrysia. The other lineage, the "gracillarioid", includes the Bucculatricidae, Gracillariidae and Roeslerstammiidae; two alternative explanations of their interrelationships are postulated. No characters link the two lineages and the systematic position of the "gracillarioid" lineage remains unresolved.