''Herlinda'' is a genus of

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 ...

s ( family Cosmopterigidae). These moths were only discovered in 1968 and the genus was not described until 1986; its affiliations within the family are presently unknown (but see below). This genus, as far as is known, is endemic to the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia, with each species confined to a single island.Clarke (1986) They are small moths and resemble ''

Microzestis ''Microzestis'' is a gelechioid moth genus usually placed in the cosmet moth family (Cosmopterigidae); its exact relationships are not yet resolved however. Only a single species is known, ''Microzestis inelegans''. It occurs in the Marquesas Isla ...

'', a possible close relative. However, the forewing vein 1b of ''Herlinda'' is not forked like in ''Microzestis'', and the forewing 1c is missing in ''Herlinda''. They also resemble '' Iressa'' of

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 ...

Cosmopteriginae in some anatomical details, but unlike in that genus, the forewing veins 2 and 3 are united in ''Herlinda''. The genitals are convergent in structure with those of the

Agonoxenidae The Agonoxeninae are a subfamily of moths. History of classification Formerly, the subfamily only contained four named species – all in the type genus '' Agonoxena'' – if (e.g. following Nielsen ''et al.'', 1996). Such a monotypic ar ...

genus ''

Asymphorodes ''Asymphorodes'' is a gelechioid moth genus in subfamily Agonoxeninae of the palm moth family (Agonoxenidae), whose taxonomic status is disputed. Alternatively, the palm moths might be a subfamily of the grass-miner moth family (Elachistidae) ...

'', which was mistakenly placed in the Cosmopterigidae.

Description and ecology

The head is covered with a smooth layer of scales; the

antenna Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to: Science and engineering * Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves * Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...

e are about 80% of the forewing length and serrated in males but smooth in females; the scape is combed. The

labial The term ''labial'' originates from '' Labium'' (Latin for "lip"), and is the adjective that describes anything of or related to lips, such as lip-like structures. Thus, it may refer to: * the lips ** In linguistics, a labial consonant ** In zoolog ...

palps are upturned and diverge, but do not reach the vertex; their second and third segments are of roughly equal length, the former being somewhat rough at the

distal Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...

end and the latter pointed. They lack ocelli. The thorax is smooth, while the hindleg tibia has a rough surface formed by hair-like scales. The genitals of the males are asymmetric, in those of the females the signum is missing. The forewing is likewise smooth; it has 11 veins, with veins 1c and 5 missing (the latter is sometimes present, but almost invisible) and 2 and 3 united. Vein 1b is not forked, and vein 4 not connected to 2/3; veins 6/7 arise from vein 8 with a stalk, the seventh reaching the leading edge of the wing slightly before the wingtip. Vein 8 either approaches vein 9 at the base or tapers out. Vein 10 originates significantly before 9, and vein 11 starts at the middle of the wing cell. The hindwings have 8 veins, but 2-5 are very weak. Hindwing veins 6/7 are stalked, and the latter reaches the leading edge. On the underside of the males' hindwings, there is a brush of elongated hairs, which fits into a fold along the wing cell. The ecology of these moths remains almost completely unknown. They seem to be primarily found in the lowlands, where the vegetation is heavily influenced by human activity. Notable plants from these moths' habitat include '' Artocarpus'' species,

Papaya The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus ''Carica'' of the family Caricaceae. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and ...

(''Carica papaya''),

Coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

(''Cocos nucifera''),

Sea Hibiscus ''Hibiscus tiliaceus'', commonly known as the sea hibiscus or coast cottonwood, is a species of flowering tree in the mallow family, Malvaceae, with a pantropical distribution along coastlines. It has also been introduced to Florida and New Zea ...

(''Hibiscus tiliaceus''),

Indian Mango ''Mangifera indica'', commonly known as mango, is a species of flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is a large fruit tree, capable of growing to a height of . There are two distinct genetic populations in modern mangoesthe "Indian ...

(''Mangifera indica''), '' Musa'' (bananas), Thatch Screwpine (''Pandanus tectorius''), the paspalum grass '' Paspalum paniculatum'',

Apple Guava ''Psidium guajava'', the common guava, yellow guava, lemon guava, or apple guava is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to the Caribbean, Central America and South America. It is easily pollinated by insects; when cultivated, it is pollina ...

(''Psidium guajava''), Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica''), Portia Tree (''Thespesia populnea''), as well as

Cyperaceae The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' w ...

sedges,

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

es. It is unlikely, however, that these moths use the non-native species as foodplants.

Species

This genus contains only 4 known species: * '' Herlinda fasciola'' J.F.G. Clarke, 1986 * '' Herlinda iota'' J.F.G. Clarke, 1986 * '' Herlinda oligoria'' J.F.G. Clarke, 1986 * '' Herlinda phaeoxantha'' J.F.G. Clarke, 1986

Footnotes

References

* (1986): Pyralidae and Microlepidoptera of the Marquesas Archipelago. ''Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology'' 416: 1–485
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