Oecophorinae
Encyclopedia
| image = Philobota1.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = Adult of Philobota arabella
or a related species
,
Aranda
(Australia)
| regnum = Animal
ia
| phylum = Arthropod
a
| classis = Insect
a
| ordo = Lepidoptera
| subordo = Glossata
| infraordo = Heteroneura
| zoodivisio = Ditrysia
| superfamilia = Gelechioidea
| familia = Oecophoridae
| subfamilia = Oecophorinae
| subfamilia_authority = Bruand, 1851
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision =
Numerous, see text
| synonyms =
Chimabachidae Heinemann, 1870
Chimabachinae
Deuterogoniidae
Deuterogoniinae
Enicostominae Heslop, 1938
Peleopodidae
Peleopodinae
Philobotidae
Philobotinae
(but see text)
}}
The Oecophorinae are the nominate subfamily of moth
s in the concealer moth family
(Oecophoridae). They are part of the insufficiently studied superfamily
Gelechioidea
, and like their relatives, the circumscription of this taxon
is disputed.
In the approach followed here, the Oecophoridae are expanded to include several lineages formerly placed in the Elachistidae
or considered independent gelechioid families. As regards the Oecophorinae, the proposed concealer moth subfamilies Chimabachinae, Deuterogoniinae, Peleopodinae and Philobotinae are included here pending further study of the affiliations of their genera
. They were also often treated as independent families (Chimabachidae, Deuterogoniidae, Peleopodidae and Philobotidae) by those who followed a "splitting
" approach. In general, the delimitation of the Oecophorinae versus the Amphisbatinae
, Depressariinae
and Hypertrophinae has been the most contested issue, though the uncertain placement of the Xyloryctidae versus the concealer moths (into which they might belong as subfamily) has also been a considerable stumbling block.
Numerous attempts have been made to divide the Oecophorinae into tribe
s, such as Carcinini, Crossotocerini, Denisiini, Herrichini, Oecophorini, Peleopodini and Pleurotini. Also placed here under this scheme are the Cacochroini and Orophiini, which otherwise were included in the Depressariinae
(but usually only when these were elevated to full family rank). Most of the proposed tribes were based on phenetic or qualitative analyses, if not merely on the whim of the entomologists that established them, and no robust evolution
ary scenario has been established for the different lineages of Oecophorinae. The groups around the genus Peleopoda (the former Peleopodinae) and of course the type genus
Oecophora
are generally recognized to be well distinguished from each other, but no satisfying arrangement has been found for the bulk of the (presumed) oecophorine genera. Hence, no subdivision into tribes is attempted here.
(with some notable species
also listed) are usually held to belong to the Oecophorinae, at least in the delimitation used here. Still, placement of few genera is completely certain (see above), and many – in particular monotypic
genera – may not be valid at all. New oecophorine genera are also being described frequently:
Several genera of Oecophoridae are of very unclear or highly disputed relationships. Among these, some have been theorized to belong in the Oecophoridae:
Also, it may be that some additional genera usually placed outside the Gelechioidea
are actually Oecophorniae, too, e.g.:
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = Adult of Philobota arabella
Philobota arabella
Philobota arabella is a moth of the Oecophoridae family. It is found in the dry grassy native woodlands of Victoria.The wingspan is about 25 mm. Adults are on wing in September and October. Adults have orange forewings with a broad brown hairy margin....
or a related 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...
,
Aranda
Aranda, Australian Capital Territory
Aranda is a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen. It is the eastern most suburb in Belconnen, located at the western foot of Black Mountain. Bounded on two sides by nature park, the suburb is characterised by its bush setting...
(Australia)
| regnum = Animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
ia
| phylum = Arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
a
| classis = Insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
a
| ordo = Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
| subordo = Glossata
Glossata
Glossata is the suborder of the insect order Lepidoptera that includes all the superfamilies of moths and butterflies that have a coilable proboscis. ....
| infraordo = Heteroneura
Heteroneura
Heteroneura is a natural group in the insect order Lepidoptera that comprises over 99% of all butterflies and moths. This is the sister group of the infraorder Exoporia , and is characterised by wing venation which is not similar or homoneurous in both pairs of wings....
| zoodivisio = Ditrysia
Ditrysia
The Ditrysia are a natural group or clade of insects in the Lepidopteran order containing both butterflies and moths. They are so named because the female has two distinct sexual openings: one for mating, and the other for laying eggs .About 98% of described species of Lepidoptera belong to Ditrysia...
| superfamilia = Gelechioidea
Gelechioidea
| name = Curved-horn moths| image = Xylorycta assimilis.jpg| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult Xylorycta assimilis of the Xyloryctidae, photographed in Aranda Note prominent "horns" and long antennae| regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda...
| familia = Oecophoridae
Oecophoridae
Oecophoridae is a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. The phylogeny and systematics of gelechoid moths are still not fully resolved, and the circumscription of the Oecophoridae is strongly affected by this....
| subfamilia = Oecophorinae
| subfamilia_authority = Bruand, 1851
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
| subdivision =
Numerous, see text
| synonyms =
Chimabachidae Heinemann, 1870
Chimabachinae
Deuterogoniidae
Deuterogoniinae
Enicostominae Heslop, 1938
Peleopodidae
Peleopodinae
Philobotidae
Philobotinae
(but see text)
}}
The Oecophorinae are the nominate subfamily of moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
s in the concealer 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...
(Oecophoridae). They are part of the insufficiently studied superfamily
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
Gelechioidea
Gelechioidea
| name = Curved-horn moths| image = Xylorycta assimilis.jpg| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult Xylorycta assimilis of the Xyloryctidae, photographed in Aranda Note prominent "horns" and long antennae| regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda...
, and like their relatives, the circumscription of this taxon
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
is disputed.
In the approach followed here, the Oecophoridae are expanded to include several lineages formerly placed in the Elachistidae
Elachistidae
| image = Elachista rufocinerea 2.jpg| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult Elachista rufocinerea,demonstrating its tiny size versus an aphid and a spider mite | regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda| classis = Insecta...
or considered independent gelechioid families. As regards the Oecophorinae, the proposed concealer moth subfamilies Chimabachinae, Deuterogoniinae, Peleopodinae and Philobotinae are included here pending further study of the affiliations of their genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
. They were also often treated as independent families (Chimabachidae, Deuterogoniidae, Peleopodidae and Philobotidae) by those who followed a "splitting
Lumpers and splitters
Lumping and splitting refers to a well-known problem in any discipline which has to place individual examples into rigorously defined categories. The lumper/splitter problem occurs when there is the need to create classifications and assign examples to them, for example schools of literature,...
" approach. In general, the delimitation of the Oecophorinae versus the Amphisbatinae
Amphisbatinae
| image =| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult Psorosticha zizyphi| regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda| classis = Insecta| ordo = Lepidoptera| subordo = Glossata| infraordo = Heteroneura| zoodivisio = Ditrysia| superfamilia = Gelechioidea...
, Depressariinae
Depressariinae
| image = Psorosticha zizyphi .jpg| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult Psorosticha zizyphi| regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda| classis = Insecta| ordo = Lepidoptera| subordo = Glossata| infraordo = Heteroneura...
and Hypertrophinae has been the most contested issue, though the uncertain placement of the Xyloryctidae versus the concealer moths (into which they might belong as subfamily) has also been a considerable stumbling block.
Numerous attempts have been made to divide the Oecophorinae into tribe
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
s, such as Carcinini, Crossotocerini, Denisiini, Herrichini, Oecophorini, Peleopodini and Pleurotini. Also placed here under this scheme are the Cacochroini and Orophiini, which otherwise were included in the Depressariinae
Depressariinae
| image = Psorosticha zizyphi .jpg| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult Psorosticha zizyphi| regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda| classis = Insecta| ordo = Lepidoptera| subordo = Glossata| infraordo = Heteroneura...
(but usually only when these were elevated to full family rank). Most of the proposed tribes were based on phenetic or qualitative analyses, if not merely on the whim of the entomologists that established them, and no robust evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
ary scenario has been established for the different lineages of Oecophorinae. The groups around the genus Peleopoda (the former Peleopodinae) and of course the type genus
Type genus
In biological classification, a type genus is a representative genus, as with regard to a biological family. The term and concept is used much more often and much more formally in zoology than it is in botany, and the definition is dependent on the nomenclatural Code that applies:* In zoological...
Oecophora
Oecophora
Oecophora is a genus of the concealer moth family . Among these, it belongs to subfamily Oecophorinae. It is the type genus of its subfamily and family...
are generally recognized to be well distinguished from each other, but no satisfying arrangement has been found for the bulk of the (presumed) oecophorine genera. Hence, no subdivision into tribes is attempted here.
Selected genera
The following generaGenera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
(with some notable 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...
also listed) are usually held to belong to the Oecophorinae, at least in the delimitation used here. Still, placement of few genera is completely certain (see above), and many – in particular monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genera – may not be valid at all. New oecophorine genera are also being described frequently:
Several genera of Oecophoridae are of very unclear or highly disputed relationships. Among these, some have been theorized to belong in the Oecophoridae:
- Callimodes Leraut 1989
- Minetia Leraut, 1991
- Schiffermuellerina Leraut, 1989
- Schiffermuellerina grandisSchiffermuellerina grandisSchiffermuellerina grandis is a moth of the Oecophoridae family. It is found in Europe.The wingspan is about 15 mm. The moth flies from May to June depending on the location.The larvae feed on bark and decayed wood.-External links:*...
- Schiffermuellerina grandis
- ZizyphiaZizyphiaZizyphia is a moth genus of the superfamily Gelechioidea. It was long placed in the family Gelechiidae, but actually seems to belong in the Oecophoridae....
(formerly in GelechiidaeGelechiidaeGelechiidae is a family of moths commonly referred to as twirler moths or gelechiid moths. They are the namesake family of the huge and little-studied superfamily Gelechioidea, and the Gelechiidae's relationships with and delimitation against their relatives have been subject to considerable...
)
Also, it may be that some additional genera usually placed outside the Gelechioidea
Gelechioidea
| name = Curved-horn moths| image = Xylorycta assimilis.jpg| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult Xylorycta assimilis of the Xyloryctidae, photographed in Aranda Note prominent "horns" and long antennae| regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda...
are actually Oecophorniae, too, e.g.:
- Leurophanes Turner, 1939 (usually in PlutellidaePlutellidaePlutellidae is a family of moths. Some authors consider this family to be a subfamily of Yponomeutidae.-Genera:*Acrolepia*Acrolepiopsis*Digitivalva*Eidophasia*Plutella...
) - Notodryas Meyrick, 1897 (usually in EpermeniidaeEpermeniidaeEpermeniidae or "fringe-tufted moths" is a family of insects in the lepidopteran order with about 14 genera. Previously they have been divided in two subfamilies Epermeniinae and Ochromolopinae but this is no longer maintained since the last group is probably hierarchically nested within the first...
) - Trisyntopa Lower, 1918 (usually in TineidaeTineidaeTineidae is a family of moths in the order Lepidoptera. Collectively, they are known as fungus moths or tineid moths. The family contains considerably more than 3,000 species in over 300 genera. Most of the tineid moths are small or medium-sized, with wings held roofwise over the body at rest...
)