Acrolophinae

Distinguished from other Tineidae subfamilies by a combination of genitalic characters and larval behavior; adults are generally small with unremarkable wing patterns that do not permit easy visual separation from related groups. Accurate identification to subfamily level requires examination of genitalia or larval case structure. The five genera (Acrolophus, Amydria, Drastea, Exoncotis, Ptilopsaltis) are separated by subtle morphological differences in wing venation and genital structure.

Restricted to the New World; occurs in North, Central, and South America. No native populations are known from the Old World.

Larvae feed on decaying plant matter, fungi, and detritus. Specific host records are sparse, but feeding habits align with the detritivorous tendency of the family Tineidae.

Larvae construct silk-lined tubes or burrows in soil, leaf litter, or decaying organic material, within which they feed and pupate. This tube-building behavior gives the group its common name. Pupation occurs within the larval tube.

Larvae are notable for constructing protective silk tubes or burrows in substrate; adults are presumably nocturnal with limited activity patterns documented.

Larvae function as detritivores, contributing to decomposition of plant material and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems.

Minimal direct economic impact; not known as significant pests of stored products or agriculture, unlike some related Tineidae. Occasionally encountered by entomologists and naturalists.

• TineinaeAnother subfamily of Tineidae; distinguished by larval habits (clothes moths construct portable cases from fibers rather than fixed silk tubes in substrate) and genitalic morphology.
• NemapogoninaeTineidae subfamily with detritivorous larvae; separated by larval case structure and adult genitalia.

• Tineidae
• New World
• detritivore
• tube builder
• burrowing larva

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