Ypsolophidae, Guenee, 1845

Pohl, Greg, Anweiler, Gary, Schmidt, Christian & Kondla, Norbert, 2010, An annotated list of the Lepidoptera of Alberta, Canada, ZooKeys 38 (38), pp. 1-549 : 63

18. Ypsolophidae – falcate-winged moths

Small (15–20 mm wingspan) moths with elongate, often brightly marked wings, ending in a tapered point or curved tip. Larvae of most species feed on the leaves of deciduous plants, on which they construct an open web.

Approximately 130 species of ypsolophids are known, primarily from the Holarctic region. Th irty-nine species are known in North America, eight of which have been reported in AB. Th is family has previously been placed within the Yponomeutidae by various workers. Th e Cereal Stem Moth, Ochsenheimeria vacculella F. von Röslerstamm , previously placed in its own family associated with the Tineoidea, has been placed within the Ypsolophidae by Dugdale et al. (1999). Th is important cereal pest was accidentally introduced to North America from Europe, but has not yet been reported in AB. No revisionary works have been published on the Ypsolophidae . Most species are easily separated via external characters, but few illustrations of them have been published. Comparison to authoritatively identified specimens or images is required to make determinations.