Mnesarchaeoidea

Mnesarchaeoidea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Suborder:	Glossata
Infraorder:	Exoporia
Superfamily:	Mnesarchaeoidea
Family:	Mnesarchaeidae
Genus:	Mnesarchaea
Species
See text.
Diversity
7 described species

Mnesarchaeoidea is a superfamily of New Zealand endemic primitive moths containing one family, Mnesarchaeidae and a single genus, Mnesarchaea. The mouthparts of the adult moths are functional, unlike Hepialoidea. Mnesarchaeoidea constitutes the living sister group to the superfamily Hepialoidea[1]. About seven species are undescribed. 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

• Mnesarchaea fusilella Walker, 1864
• Mnesarchaea paracosma Meyrick, 1886
• Mnesarchaea loxoscua Meyrick, 1888
• Mnesarchaea hamadelpha Meyrick, 1888
• Mnesarchaea similis Philpott, 1924
• Mnesarchaea fusca Philpott, 1922
• Mnesarchaea fallax Philpott, 1927
• Mnesarchaea acuta Philpott, 1929

References

• Kristensen, N.P. (1999). The homoneurous Glossata. Ch. 5, pp. 51-64 in Kristensen, N.P. (Ed.). Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies. Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbuch der Zoologie. Eine Naturgeschichte der Stämme des Tierreiches / Handbook of Zoology. A Natural History of the phyla of the Animal Kingdom. Band / Volume IV Arthropoda: Insecta Teilband / Part 35: 491 pp. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York.
• Firefly Encyclopedia of Insects and Spiders, edited by Christopher O'Toole, ISBN 1-55297-612-2, 2002

External Links

• Landcare Species of New Zealand
• Tree of Life