Apatelodidae


Apatelodidae, the American silkworm moths, is a family of insects in the order Lepidoptera. They are a family within the superfamily Bombycoidea.

Distribution

Species are exclusively found in the New World, with the highest diversity in the Neotropical realm.

Diversity

The family consists of about 17 genera and about 250 species.

Taxonomy

There is only one subfamily with the removal of the Phiditiidae as a separate family, and the more recently-resolved placement of Epiinae; historically, Apatelodinae, Epiinae, and Phiditiinae were all placed in the Bombycidae, but now only Epiinae remains there, including some genera formerly placed in Apatelodinae, such as Anticla and Quentalia.