Preliminary trophic analysis of leaf-mining Nepticulidae: pronounced feeding strategies in Middle and South America?

Abstract

The paper briefly analyzes trophic relationships of Nepticulidae occurring in Middle and South America (the Neotropical and Ando-Patagonian regions) for the  first time. The  results show some peculiar features, including unexpectedly large percentage of taxa trophically associated with Asterales (Asteraceae) and Lamiales plants. However, because of insufficient sampling in most regions of the Caribbean and Middle and South America as well as the  fact that only 50% of analyzed taxa are known in host-plant records, the  results of current analysis should be treated as preliminary.