The Agonoxeninae are a subfamily 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 ...

History of classification

Formerly, the subfamily only contained four named species – all in 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 ...

Agonoxena ''Agonoxena'' is a genus of moths of the family 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 ...

'' – if (e.g. following Nielsen ''et al.'', 1996). Such a monotypic arrangement is fairly unusual in modern

taxonomy 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. ...

without explicit need due to

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

constraints. Hodges (in Kristensen, 1999) retained the Blastodacnidae in the Agonoxenidae, giving a grouping of some 31 genera, and treating the whole as a subfamily Agonoxeninae of the

grass-miner moth The Elachistidae (grass-miner moths) are a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. Some authors lump about 3,300 species in eight subfamilies here, but this arrangement almost certainly results in a massively paraphyletic and co ...

s (Elachistidae). Collectively, the Agonoxenidae and "Blastodacnidae" are known as palm moths.

Genera

* ''

Meyrick Meyrick is a surname and given name. Meyricke is a variant form. Surname * Edmund Meyrick (1636–1713), Welsh cleric * Edward Meyrick (1854–1938), English schoolmaster and amateur entomologist * Edward Meyrick Goulburn (1818–1897), English ...

, 1921 * ''

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) ...

'' (formerly in

Cosmopterigidae 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. ...

) * '' Cladobrostis'' * '' Diacholotis'' * '' Gnamptonoma'' * '' Helcanthica'' * '' Ischnopsis'' * ''

Nanodacna ''Nanodacna'' is a genus of moths in the family 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 ...

'' * '' Nicanthes'' * ''

Pammeces ''Pammeces'' is a genus of moths in the family Agonoxenidae. It was formerly included in the Cosmopterigidae The Cosmopterigidae are a family of insects (cosmet moths) in the order Lepidoptera. These are small moths with narrow wings whose ti ...

'' Zeller, 1863 (formerly in Cosmopterigidae) * '' Pauroptila'' * ''

Porotica ''Porotica'' is a genus of moths, belonging to the family Coleophoridae containing only one species, ''Porotica astragalis'', which is known from South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernm ...

'' * ''

Proterocosma ''Proterocosma'' is a genus of moths in the family Agonoxenidae. It was formerly included in the Cosmopterigidae The Cosmopterigidae are a family of insects (cosmet moths) in the order Lepidoptera. These are small moths with narrow wings who ...

'' (formerly in Cosmopterigidae)

Former genera

'' Blastodacna'', '' Dystebenna'', '' Haplochrois'', '' Heinemannia'' and ''

Spuleria ''Spuleria'' is a genus of moths of the family Elachistidae. It contains only one species ''Spuleria flavicaput'', which is found in most of Europe and Anatolia. Taxonomy Some authors list the genus as a synonym of ''Chrysoclista''. If valid, th ...

'' are sometimes placed here, sometimes in the

Elachistidae The Elachistidae (grass-miner moths) are a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. Some authors lump about 3,300 species in eight subfamilies here, but this arrangement almost certainly results in a massively paraphyletic and co ...

(or Blastodacnidae). Other genera formerly placed here: * ''

Chrysoclista ''Chrysoclista'' is a genus of moths of the family Agonoxenidae described by Henry Tibbats Stainton in 1854. Taxonomy The genus is mostly placed in the family Agonoxenidae, but other authors list it as a member of the families Elachistidae, Cosm ...

'' * '' Colonophora'' * ''

Glaucacna ''Glaucacna'' is a monotypic moth genus in the family Agonoxenidae which was described by William Trowbridge Merrifield Forbes in 1931. Its only species, ''Glaucacna iridea'', described in the same article, is found in Puerto Rico Puerto Ri ...

'' * ''

Palaeomystella ''Palaeomystella'' is a genus of moths in the family 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'' &ndas ...

'' * '' Panclintis'' * '' Prochola'' * '' Tocasta'' Busck, 1912 * '' Zaratha''

References

*Nielsen E.S., Edwards E.D. & Rangsi T.V. (eds.) (1996), Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia; Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 4; CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 1996 *Kristensen, N.P. (ed.), 1999. Handbook of Zoology: Bd. 4. Arthropoda: Insecta. Teilbd. 35, Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies. Vol. 1. Evolution, systematics, and biogeography. W.de Gruyter, Berlin. Moth subfamilies Elachistidae Taxa named by Edward Meyrick {{Agonoxenidae-stub