''Gadira'' 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
moth
Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...
s of the family
Crambidae
The Crambidae are the grass moth family of lepidopterans. They are variable in appearance, the nominal subfamily Crambinae (grass moths) taking up closely folded postures on grass stems where they are inconspicuous, while other subfamilies includ ...
.
This genus is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
Taxonomy
This species was first described by
Francis Walker in 1866 and named ''Gadira''.
The type species of this genus is ''
Gadira acerella'' by original
monotypy
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 ...
.
Description
Walker originally described this genus as follows:
Species
The species found in this genus are:
*''
Gadira acerella''
Walker, 1866
*''
Gadira leucophthalma''
(Meyrick, 1882)
*''
Gadira petraula''
(Meyrick, 1882)
References
Crambinae
Crambidae genera
Taxa named by Francis Walker (entomologist)
Endemic fauna of New Zealand
Endemic moths of New Zealand
{{Crambinae-stub