Mnesarchaea

Mnesarchaeoidea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Mnesarchaeidae
Genus: Mnesarchaea
Meyrick, 1885[1]
Species

See text.

Diversity[2]
7 described species

Mnesarchaeoidea is a superfamily of "New Zealand primitive moths" containing one family, Mnesarchaeidae and a single genus, Mnesarchaea, endemic to New Zealand.

Taxonomy and systematics

Mnesarchaeoidea constitutes the living sister taxon to the superfamily Hepialoidea.

Morphology and identification

The mouthparts of the adult moths are functional, unlike Hepialoidea. About seven species are not yet described, and the group is under revision by Gibbs et al. (see also Gibbs, 1979; Dugdale, 1988).

Biology and behaviour

The moths are mostly day-flying. The larvae live in silken galleries among liverworts and soil detritus. See Kristensen (1999: 57-59) for more details.

Species

References

  1. Meyrick, E. 1885: Descriptions of New Zealand microlepidoptera. Gelechiadae VIII. Tineina (part). New Zealand journal of science (Dunedin), 2(12): 589-592. BHL [Original reference for ' Mnesarchaea n.g. ']
  2. Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness - Lepidoptera
  3. Meyrick, E. 1885: Descriptions of New Zealand microlepidoptera. Gelechiadae VIII. Tineina (part). New Zealand journal of science (Dunedin), 2(12): 589-592. BHL [Original reference for ' M[nesarchaea]. paracosma n.sp. ']
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Sources

External links

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