Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 11, 2025

The Insect Galleria mellonella as a Powerful Infection Model to Investigate Bacterial Pathogenesis
Published on: December 11, 2012
What are the smallest moths (Lepidoptera) in the world?
Jonas R Stonis1, Andrius Remeikis, Arūnas Diškus
1Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos St. 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania.. stonis.biotaxonomy@gmail.com.
Abstract:
The world's smallest moths in Lepidoptera (Insecta) and the complexity in making such a determination are examined and discussed. The forewing length and wingspan of 650 species were measured and the same data were retrieved from published papers to determine which species and family have the smallest moths in the world. The minimal recorded forewing length was found to be around 1.2-1.3 mm and the wingspan around 2.6-2.8 mm in two families, the Gracillariidae and Nepticulidae. Among Lepidoptera, the following species have the smallest moths globally: the European Johanssoniella acetosae (Stainton), the Peruvian Simplimorpha kailai Stonis Diškus, the Mexican Stigmella maya Remeikis Stonis, the Mediterranean S. diniensis (Klimesh), the Mediterranean Parafomoria liguricella (Klimesh) (Nepticulidae), the South East Asian Porphyrosela alternata Kumata, and the Central African P. desmodivora De Prins (Gracillariidae). Additionally, in the Nepticulidae, we provide a measurement update for Stigmella maya Remeikis Stonis, one of the tiniest species with a forewing length of 1.3 mm and wingspan of 2.8 mm, and describe a new species, Stigmella incaica Diškus Stonis, sp. nov., with a forewing length of 1.75 to 1.95 mm and a wingspan of 3.8 to 4.3 mm.
Related Concept Videos
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

