A review of the plume moth fauna (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae) of Israel

Available information on the Israeli plume moths is rather scarce and outdated. Prior to our investigation, 41 species were recorded from the country. The material from the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History in Tel Aviv yielded another four species: Agdistis bellissima Arenberger, 1975; Marasmarcha ehrenbergiana (Zeller, 1841); Pterophorus pentadactyla (Linnaeus, 1758); and Wheeleria sobeidae (Arenberger, 1981). Five species are endemics or sub-endemics of Israel: Hellinsia aegyptiacus (Rebel, 1914); Hellinsia scholastica (Meyrick, 1924); Agdistis pygmaea Amsel, 1955; Agdistis nigra Amsel, 1955; Capperia fletcheri Adamczewski, 1951. The diversity of ecologies in Israel suggests that the plume moth fauna of the country may substantially increase through a targeted collection effort.