Clarkeophlebia is an enigmatic and almost-unknown gelechioid moth genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

. It contains a single species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

, Clarkeophlebia argentea, and is apparently endemic to Fatu Hiva

Fatu Hiva

Fatu Hiva is the southernmost of the Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean...

 in the Marquesas Islands

Marquesas Islands

The Marquesas Islands enana and Te Fenua `Enata , both meaning "The Land of Men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Marquesas are located at 9° 00S, 139° 30W...

 of Polynesia

Polynesia

Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...

. It was originally described as Acanthophlebia, but this name had earlier been given to a genus of prong-gilled mayflies.

Its relationships are not well determined. While it is superficially similar to the America

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

n concealer moth Fabiola tecta, in its anatomical details it seems more similar to Adeana leucoxantha (another puzzling Polynesian moth) and/or Asymphorodes

Asymphorodes

Asymphorodes is a gelechioid moth genus in subfamily Agonoxeninae of the palm moth family , whose taxonomic status is disputed. Alternatively, the palm moths might be a subfamily of the grass-miner moth family , with the Agonoxeninae becoming a tribe Agonoxenini.Formerly, this genus was included in...

. Clarkeophlebia is tentatively considered a cosmet moth (family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Cosmopterigidae) here, but this was thought about Asymphorodes as well; more recently however the latter genus has been assigned to the palm moths of the (somewhat disputed) family Agonoxenidae. This may thus be correct for Clarkeophlebia (and Adeana) too.