Cyclotornidae

Definition

A small family of Australian moths (Lepidoptera) containing a single genus, Cyclotorna, with five described species. The family is distinguished by a complex, two-phase life history: first-instar larvae are ectoparasites on Hemiptera (typically leafhoppers, sometimes scale insects), then abandon the hemipteran host to become predators of ant brood inside nests, apparently using chemical deception to induce ant transport.

Etymology

From Greek kyklos (circle, ring) + tornos (lathe, tool for turning), referring to the circular or ring-like form of some larval structures; with family suffix -idae.

Example

Cyclotorna monocentra larvae parasitize leafhoppers in eucalypt canopies before being carried by worker ants of Iridomyrmex species into the nest, where they feed on ant larvae and pupae.

Related Terms

• Epipyropidae
• Cyclotorna
• ectoparasitism
• myrmecophily
• planidial larva
• leafhopper
• Hemiptera
• Lepidoptera

Usage Notes

Often discussed alongside Epipyropidae as the only Lepidoptera with ectoparasitic larvae; the two families represent independent origins of parasitism in the order. The family is endemic to Australia and rarely encountered except by specialists studying ant-hemipteran-moth food webs. Not to be confused with similarly named groups in other insect orders.