Axia (moth)

Axia
Axia margarita
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Cimeliidae
Genus: Axia
Hübner, 1821
Species
Synonyms

Timia Boisduval, 1828
Cimelia Lederer, 1853
Cimetimia Chrétien, 1916

Axia, or the "Gold Moths", is a genus of moths whose precise relationships within the Macrolepidoptera are currently uncertain, but they currently represent a superfamily whose nearest relatives include the butterflies, Calliduloidea, Drepanoidea, Geometroidea, Bombycoidea, Mimallonoidea and Lasiocampoidea, and the Noctuoidea. Uniquely, they have a pair of pocket-like organs on the seventh abdominal spiracle of the adult moth [1] which are possibly sound receptive organs .[2] They are quite large and brightly coloured moths that occur only in Southern Europe and feed on species of Euphorbia. Sometimes they are attracted to light .[1]

One species, Epicimelia theresiae, was formerly included in this genus, but has since been recognized as distinct; it is the only other described species in the family.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 J. Minet (1999). "The Axioidea and Calliduloidea". In N. P. Kristensen. Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies. Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbuch der Zoologie. Eine Naturgeschichte der Stämme des Tierreiches. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin & New York. pp. 257–261.
  2. J. Minet & A. Surlykke (2003). "Auditory and sound producing organs". In N. P. Kristensen. Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies. Volume 2: Morphology and Physiology. Handbuch der Zoologie. Eine Naturgeschichte der Stämme des Tierreiches. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin. pp. 289–323.
  3. Shen-Horn Yen and Joël Minet (2007) Cimelioidea: A New Superfamily Name for the Gold Moths (Lepidoptera: Glossata). Zoological Studies 46(3): 262-271

Sources

External links

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