Description of Elachistidae
The Elachistidae are members of the Superfamily Gelechioidea. Worldwide in distribution, there are more than 400 known species that are mainly found in north temperate regions. There have been about 140 species described in America north of Mexico, but the true diversity of this family is likely much higher, as the elachistid fauna is virtually unexplored in large areas of the continent. These are tiny or small moths, wingspan 0.6-1.1 cm, with narrow, lancelike wings that are usually white, grey, or black with white markings. Larvae feed on leaves of grasses and sedges, and pupate in loose, meshlike cocoons or as naked pupae attached to plants or other objects by a silken girdle.
