Casebearer Moths (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae)

Casebearer moths, family Coleophoridae, comprise over 1,525 species worldwide, with most being Palearctic (1,082 sp.) and in the genus, Coleophora. Most are in subfamily Coleophorinae, while non-casebearers are in Batrachedrinae. The family is part of the superfamily Gelechioidea in the section Tineina, subsection Tineina, of the division Ditrysia. Adults small (5–24 mm wingspan), with head smooth-scaled; haustellum scaled; labial palpi recurved; maxillary palpi minute, 2-segmented. Wings usually very elongated and hindwings spindle-shaped with long fringes. Maculation shades of brown or gray, sometimes mostly white, and unicolorous or with various markings or stripes, but rarely more colorful and with iridescence. Adults may be mostly crepuscular but many are diurnal. Larvae make small cases (except for Batrachedrinae), often distinctly shaped for each species (Fig. 27), skeletonizing host leaves, but some are seed borers, leafminers, or stalk borers, or skeletonize leaves beneath...