| Oinophila | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Tineidae |
| Subfamily: | Hieroxestinae |
| Genus: | Oinophila Stephens, 1848 |
| Type species | |
| Gracillaria v-flava Haworth, 1828 |
|
| Diversity | |
| At least 2 species (see text) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Oenophila Dunning & Pickard, 1859 (unjustified emendation) |
|
Oinophila is a small genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Hieroxestinae.[1]
O. v-flava, often mis-spelled "-flavum", is commonly known as the Wine Moth. Its caterpillars borrow into moist cork – such as of wine bottles stored in a damp cellar – in search of the mould which they primarily eat.[2]
Oinophila is only a minor lineage in a small subfamily, but the notoriety of the well-known Wine Moth made it quite well known. In the past, it was thus used as a sort of "wastebin taxon" for miscellanoues Hieroxestinae. Four species remain in the genus at present, but two of these do not actually seem to belong here – they might even be no Hieroxestinae:[3]