Galacticidae is a recently recognised and enigmatic family of insects in the lepidopteranorder. These moderate sized moths are 8–17mm in wingspan and have previously been embedded within several lepidopteran superfamilies (Tineoidea: Psychidae, Urodoidea, Sesioidea and in several families of Yponomeutoidea), but Galacticidae is currently placed in its own superfamily at the base of the natural group Apoditrysia (Dugdale et al., 1999 [1998]; May, 2004).
Note: the superfamily was unintentionally called "Galaticoidea" in Dugdale et al. (1999) [1998].
The relationships of Galacticidae need reassessment with new characters including DNA data . The genus Homadaula looks remarkably like the yponomeutid genera Prays and Atemelia and some species are reminiscent of "small ermine" moths. Despite the spined abdominal segments of the pupae and a few other characters (Minet, 1986) some possess structural similarities to yponomeutids as well and have similar larval behaviour so their removal from the Yponomeutoidea has been questioned (Mey, 2004).
Dugdale, J.S., Kristensen, N.P., Robinson, G.S. and Scoble, M.J. (1999) [1998]. The smaller microlepidoptera grade superfamilies, Ch.13., pp.217–232 in Kristensen, N.P. (Ed.). Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies. Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbuch der Zoologie. Eine Naturgeschichte der Stämme des Tierreiches / Handbook of Zoology. A Natural History of the phyla of the Animal Kingdom. Band / Volume IV Arthropoda: Insecta Teilband / Part 35: 491 pp. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York.
Mey, W. (2004). Galacticidae (Ditrysia incertae sedis). Esperiana1: 91-102.
Minet, J. (1986). Ébauche d'une classification moderne de l'ordre des Lépidoptères. Alexanor 14(7): 291-313.
Moriuti, S. (1963). Remarks on the Paraprays anisocentra (Meyrick, 1922) (Plutellidae), with descriptions of its larva and pupa. Transactions of the Lepidopterological Society of Japan, 14(3): 52-59.
