''Erechthias'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of the

fungus moth Tineidae is a family of moths in the order Lepidoptera described by Pierre André Latreille in 1810. Collectively, they are known as fungus moths or tineid moths. The family contains considerably more than 3,000 species in more than 300 genera. ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Erechthiinae The Erechthiinae are a subfamily of moth of the family Tineidae. Genera * ''Anastathma'' * ''Callicerastis'' (sometimes in ''Erechthias'') * ''Comodica'' * ''Erechthias'' Meyrick, 1880 * ''Mecomodica ''Mecomodica fullawayi'' is a fungus moth ...

, of which it is the

type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nominal f ...

. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

Systematics and taxonomy

Here, the genus is treated in the wide circumscription (''

sensu lato ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...

'') adopted by many authors today, and representing the presumed core group of the Erechthiinae. Delimited thus, ''Erechthias'' includes several other genera, some of which have occasionally been treated as independent even by fairly recent authors. They are still rather similar and contain moths that are (at least overwhelmingly) very closely related. Still, they differ in details such as the wing venation – with ''Erechthias'' ''

sensu stricto ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...

'' having all veins separate (as opposed to e.g. the ''Decadarchis'' group, which has hindwing veins 5 and 6 stalked) – or the

clasper In biology, a clasper is a male anatomical structure found in some groups of animals, used in mating. Male cartilaginous fish have claspers formed from the posterior portion of their pelvic fin which serve to channel semen into the female's c ...

's harpe being nude in ''Erechthias s.str.'' but bearing a cluster of

seta In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. Th ...

e on the costa. However, the female

genitals A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, a ...

look almost alike in all of them. Many of these supposedly distinct genera were always considered

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

and are unlikely to be valid. More notable are ''Decadarchis'' (including ''Caryolestis'', ''Nesoxena'', ''Pantheus'' and perhaps others) and ''Ereunetis'' (including ''Lepidobregma'' and ''Neodecadarchis''); these two are more frequently considered separate genera than other subgroups of ''Erechthias''. The members of the former (sub)genus were in fact at first often placed in ''

Tinea Dermatophytosis, also known as ringworm, is a fungal infection of the skin. Typically it results in a red, itchy, scaly, circular rash. Hair loss may occur in the area affected. Symptoms begin four to fourteen days after exposure. Multiple ar ...

'' of subfamily

Tineinae The Tineinae are a subfamily of moths of the family Tineidae. Genera * ''Acridotarsa'' * '' Anomalotinea'' * '' Asymphyla'' * '' Ceratobia'' * ''Ceratophaga'' * '' Ceratuncus'' * ''Crypsithyris'' * '' Crypsithyrodes'' * '' Eccritothrix'' * '' E ...

. Other species of ''Erechthias'' were historically assigned to ''

Acridotarsa ''Acridotarsa'' is a genus of moths belonging to the family Tineidae. The genus was described by Edward Meyrick in 1893. The larvae are associated with termites' nests.Robinson & Nielsen (1993). "Tineid Genera of Australia (Lepidoptera)". ''Mono ...

'' – also of the Tineinae ('' E. deloneura'') – or to ''

Mesopherna ''Mesopherna'' is a genus of moths belonging to the family Tineidae Tineidae is a family of moths in the order Lepidoptera described by Pierre André Latreille in 1810. Collectively, they are known as fungus moths or tineid moths. The family ...

'' of the

Myrmecozelinae The Myrmecozelinae are a subfamily of moth of the family Tineidae. Genera * '' Ateliotum'' * '' Analytarcha'' * '' Cephimallota'' ** syn. '' Anemallota'' ** syn. '' Aphimallota'' ** syn. '' Cephitinea'' * '' Cinnerethica'' * '' Contralissa'' * ...

('' E. epomadia''). '' E. glyphidaula'' has been a particular source of confusion; even veteran researcher

Edward Meyrick Edward Meyrick (25 November 1854, in Ramsbury – 31 March 1938, at Thornhanger, Marlborough) was an English schoolmaster and amateur entomologist. He was an expert on microlepidoptera and some consider him one of the founders of modern micr ...

, in some of his last works, no less than three times established a new monotypic genus for this species. More unusually, some species of ''Erechthias'' were initially mistaken as members of the

cosmet moth The Cosmopterigidae are a family of insects (cosmet moths) in the order Lepidoptera. These are small moths with narrow wings whose tiny larvae feed internally on the leaves, seeds and stems of their host plants. About 1500 species are described ...

genus ''

Cosmopteryx ''Cosmopterix'' is a large genus of moth in the family Cosmopterigidae (cosmet moths). Description Adult ''Cosmopterix'' species are very small to small moths with a forewing length of 2.9-6.5 mm. Head smooth-scaled, rather long and narr ...

'' ('' E. cyanosticta'') and the

ermine moth : ''Certain members of the unrelated snout moths (Pyralidae) are also known as "ermine moths." Spilosoma lubricipeda is an unrelated moth with the common name "white ermine."'' The family Yponomeutidae are known as the ermine moths, with severa ...

genus ''

Argyresthia ''Argyresthia'' is a genus of moths in the family Argyresthiidae, previously treated as subfamily Argyresthiinae in the family Yponomeutidae. Species *'' Argyresthia abdominalis'' – Zeller, 1839 *'' Argyresthia abies'' – Freeman, 1972 *'' ...

'' ('' E. zebrina''); these genera are basal

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 (in contra ...

not particularly closely related to ''Erechthias''. The enigmatic "genus" ''Acrocenotes'' – a single species initially held to belong in the

Plutellidae The Plutellidae are a family of moths commonly known as the diamondback moths, named after the diamondback moth (''Plutella xylostella'') of European origin. It was once considered to have three subfamilies: Plutellinae, Praydinae, and Scythropi ...

, which are also not close relatives of ''Erechthias'' – is also included here in the present treatment. As another

taxonomic Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

curiosity of this genus, '' E. beeblebroxi'' is named after

Douglas Adams Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author and screenwriter, best known for ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' developed into a " ...

's famous two-headed science fiction character

Zaphod Beeblebrox Zaphod Beeblebrox () is a fictional character in the various versions of the comic science fiction series ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' by Douglas Adams. He is from a planet in the vicinity of Betelgeuse, and is a "semi-half-cousin" ...

; the moth has a "false head" pattern that presumably helps to confuse would-be

predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

s. Finally, the actual delimitation of ''Erechthias'' against related genera such as ''

Comodica ''Comodica'' is a small genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae. It is apparently a close relative of the type genus of its subfamily, ''Erechthias''.Robinson 011/ref> It is usually delimited ...

'' still needs to be determined. For example, whether the Erechthiinae '' Callicerastis stagmatias'' and '' Mecomodica fullawayi'' are justifiably separated in their monotypic genera or better included in ''Erechthias'' (as are all the other species once placed in ''Callicerastis'') is disputed; the latter in particular seems to be somewhat intermediate between ''Comodica'' and ''Erechthias''.

Selected species

The numerous

of ''Erechthias'' include: * '' Erechthias acontistes'' Meyrick, 1880 * '' Erechthias acontotypa'' Turner, 1926 * ''

Erechthias acroleuca ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family (biology), family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass mor ...

'' Turner, 1923 * '' Erechthias aellophora'' Meyrick, 1880 * '' Erechthias ancistrosema'' Turner, 1939 * '' Erechthias ascensionae'' * '' Erechthias articulosa'' Meyrick, 1921 * '' Erechthias aspera'' (J.F.G.Clarke, 1986) * '' Erechthias beeblebroxi'' Robinson & Nielsen, 1993 * ''

Erechthias capnitis ''Erechthias capnitis'' is a moth of the family Tineidae first described by Alfred Jefferis Turner in 1918. It is originally endemic to Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia loc ...

'' (Turner, 1918) (type of ''Empaesta'') * '' Erechthias celestra'' (J.F.G.Clarke, 1986) * '' Erechthias celetica'' Turner, 1923 * '' Erechthias centroscia'' (Turner, 1933) (type of ''Gongylodes'') * ''

Erechthias charadrota ''Erechthias charadrota'' is a species of moth in the family Tineidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1880 using three specimens caught in dry forest-scrub near Wellington and Port Lyttelton during the month of January. This species is end ...

'' Meyrick, 1880 * '' Erechthias chasmatias'' (Meyrick, 1880) (type of ''Hectacma'') * ''

Erechthias chionodira ''Erechthias chionodira'' is a species of moth in the family Tineidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1880 using two specimens obtained in Auckland on a shady bank amongst forest in January. This species is endemic to New Zealand ...

'' * ''

Erechthias cirrhogramma ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 species ...

'' (J.F.G.Clarke, 1971) * ''

Erechthias citrinopa ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 species ...

'' (Lower, 1905) (sometimes in ''Comodica'') * '' Erechthias clistopa'' (Meyrick, 1929) * ''

Erechthias contributa ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 species ...

'' (Meyrick, 1932) (sometimes in ''Comodica'') * '' Erechthias coleosema'' (Meyrick, 1934) * ''

Erechthias cyanosticta ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 speci ...

'' (Lower, 1916) * ''

Erechthias darwini ''Erechthias darwini'' is a moth of the family Tineidae. It is endemic to St. Paul’s Rocks, a group of 15 small islets and rocks in the central equatorial Atlantic Ocean. It was first recorded by Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ...

'' * ''

Erechthias decaspila ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 species ...

'' (Lower, 1905) (sometimes in ''Comodica'') * ''

Erechthias deloneura ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 speci ...

'' (Turner, 1923) * '' Erechthias diacrita'' (Turner, 1923) * ''

Erechthias diaphora ''Erechthias diaphora'' is a moth of the family Tineidae. It is known from Australia, including New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Adults dark brown forewings with pale bands along the margins. The larvae live in a silken case covered in ...

'' * ''

Erechthias dochmogramma ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 species ...

'' (Lower, 1916) (sometimes in ''Comodica'') * '' Erechthias dracaenura'' * '' Erechthias elaeorrhoa'' Meyrick, 1880 * ''

Erechthias epispora ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 species ...

'' (Lower, 1905) (sometimes in ''Comodica'') * ''

Erechthias epomadia ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 speci ...

'' (Turner, 1923) * ''

Erechthias erebocosma ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 speci ...

'' (Meyrick, 1893) * ''

Erechthias eurynipha ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 species ...

'' (Turner, 1923) (sometimes in ''Comodica'') * '' Erechthias flavistriata'' – sugarcane bud moth (type of ''Neodecadarchis'') * ''

Erechthias glyphidaula ''Erechthias glyphidaula'' is a moth of the family Tineidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1933. It is found on Fiji. 011 The following is a list of different international call prefixes that need to be dialled when placing an interna ...

'' (Meyrick, 1933) (type of ''Amphisyncentris'') * '' Erechthias grayi'' * '' Erechthias incongrua'' (J.F.G.Clarke, 1986) * '' Erechthias iseres'' (Turner, 1917) * '' Erechthias iuloptera'' (Meyrick, 1880) (type of ''Ereunetis'') * '' Erechthias kerri'' * ''

Erechthias lychnopa ''Erechthias lychnopa'' is a species of moth in the family Tineidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "Data Deficient" by the Department of Conservation. Taxonomy It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1927 from a spec ...

'' Meyrick, 1927 * ''

Erechthias minuscula ''Erechthias minuscula'', the erechthias clothes moth, is a moth of the family Tineidae. It was first described by Lord Walsingham in 1897. It is widespread and has been recorded from Africa, Sri Lanka, Java, Australia, the Caroline Islands, Fiji ...

'' – erechthias clothes moth (type of ''Lepidobregma'') * '' Erechthias molynta'' * ''

Erechthias mucronata ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 specie ...

'' (Meyrick, 1921) (type of ''Zanclopseustis'') * ''

Erechthias mystacinella ''Erechthias mystacinella'', the curve-winged apple moth, is a moth of the family Tineidae. It is found in the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania and Victoria. Description The wingspan is about 14 mm. The larvae have been found feedi ...

'' – curve-winged apple moth * '' Erechthias niphadopla'' Meyrick, 1880 * '' Erechthias niphoplaca'' (Turner, 1923) * '' Erechthias orchestris'' (Turner, 1932) * '' Erechthias oxymacha'' (Meyrick, 1893) * '' Erechthias oxytona'' (Meyrick, 1893) * ''

Erechthias penicillata ''Erechthias penicillata'' is a moth of the family Tineidae. It was first described by Otto Herman Swezey in 1909. It is found in the Pacific region, including French Polynesia and Hawaii. The wingspan is about 10 mm. Adults are pale straw c ...

'' (type of ''Pantheus'') * '' Erechthias percnomicta'' (Meyrick, 1934) * '' Erechthias phileris'' (Meyrick, 1893) * '' Erechthias photophanes'' (Meyrick, 1917) * '' Erechthias physocapna'' (Meyrick, 1929) * '' Erechthias polionota'' Turner, 1923 * '' Erechthias polyplecta'' Turner, 1923 * ''

Erechthias praedatrix ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 species ...

'' (Meyrick, 1934) (type of ''Caryolestis'') * ''

Erechthias psammaula ''Erechthias psammaula'', the brown-stripe moth, is a moth of the family Tineidae. It is found on Fiji, French Polynesia, Tonga and the Cook Islands. The larvae feed on the leaves of ''Cocos nucifera The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera' ...

'' (Meyrick, 1921) * '' Erechthias rufimacula'' (Meyrick, 1934) * ''

Erechthias saitoi ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 species ...

'' (Moriuti & Kadohara, 1994) (sometimes in ''Comodica'') * '' Erechthias scythromorpha'' (Turner, 1926) * '' Erechthias sphenotoma'' (Meyrick, 1935) (type of ''Aeolarchis'') * ''

Erechthias simulans ''Erechthias simulans'' is a species of fungus moth (family Tineidae). It is here considered to belong to the somewhat controversial type genus of its subfamily Erechthiinae, though even fairly recently some authors have proposed to retain other g ...

'' (type of ''Decadarchis'') * ''

Erechthias sinapifera ''Erechthias'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Erechthiinae, of which it is the type genus. The exact circumscription of this genus is still disputed, but it may encompass more than 150 species ...

'' (Turner, 1926) * '' Erechthias strangulata'' (Meyrick, 1929) (type of ''Nesoxena'') * '' Erechthias symmacha'' (Meyrick, 1893) * '' Erechthias trigonosema'' (Turner, 1923) * '' Erechthias tritogramma'' (J.F.G.Clarke, 1986) * ''

Erechthias zebrina ''Erechthias zebrina'' is a fungus moth (family Tineidae). Initially, it was mistakenly believed to be an ermine moth (family Yponomeutidae) of genus '' Argyresthia''. This species has a wingspan of 8–10 mm. It was first described by Art ...

'' (type of ''Tinexotaxa'')

Synonyms

Times and again, groups of these moths have been proposed for separation in distinct

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

. These

junior synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...

s of ''Erechthias'', in the circumscription used here, are:Pitkin & Jenkins (2004), ABRS (2010) * ''Acrocenotes'' A.N.Diakonoff, 1968 * ''Aeolarchis'' Meyrick, 1935 * ''Amphisyncentris'' Meyrick, 1933 * ''Anemerarcha'' Meyrick, 1937 * ''Caryolestis'' Meyrick, 1934 * ''Decadarchis'' Meyrick, 1886 * ''Empaesta'' Bradley, 1956 * ''Ereunetis'' Meyrick, 1880 * ''Gongylodes'' A.J.Turner, 1933 * ''Hectacma'' Meyrick, 1915 * ''Lepidobregma'' Zimmerman, 1978 * ''Neodecadarchis'' Zimmerman, 1978 * ''Nesoxena'' Meyrick, 1929 * ''Pantheus'' Zimmerman, 1978 * ''Tinexotaxa'' Gozmany, 1968 * ''Triadogona'' Meyrick, 1937 * ''Zanclopseustis'' Meyrick, 1921

Footnotes

References

* (2010): Australian Faunal Directory &ndash
''Erechthias''
Version of 2010-NOV-15. Retrieved 2011-DEC-23. * (1986): Pyralidae and Microlepidoptera of the Marquesas Archipelago. ''Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology'' 416: 1-485
PDF fulltext
(214 MB!) * (2004)
Butterflies and Moths of the World, Generic Names and their Type-species
&ndash
''Erechthias''
Version of 2004-NOV-05. Retrieved 2011-DEC-23. *

011 The following is a list of different international call prefixes that need to be dialled when placing an international telephone call from different countries. Countries by international prefix Countries using optional carrier selection cod ...

br>Global Taxonomic Database of Tineidae (Lepidoptera)
Retrieved 2011-DEC-23. {{Taxonbar, from=Q5385380 Moth genera Erechthiinae Taxa named by Edward Meyrick