Ernophthora
Encyclopedia
Ernophthora is a genus
of small moths
belonging to the snout moth family
(Pyralidae). They form part of the Cabniini, a rather small tribe
of the huge snout moth subfamily Phycitinae
. This genus is generally found in the Australia
-Pacific region.
These moths are remarkable for their ability to colonize oceanic islands. Numerous species occur as far offshore as the Marquesas Islands
. Members of this genus can usually be distinguished from relatives by their 10-veined forewings, with veins 4 and 7 completely absent.
Ernophthora caterpillar
s eat living and sometimes dead leaves, which they also spin together with webbing to hide. The foodplants of this genus are not too well known, but appear to be limited by availability rather than being restricted to a particular lineage of plants; recorded are for example Bidens
(beggarticks) and Vaccinium
(blueberries and relatives), which are both asterids but otherwise unrelated.
of Ernophthora include:
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of small moths
Moths
Moths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...
belonging to the snout moth family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
(Pyralidae). They form part of the Cabniini, a rather small tribe
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
of the huge snout moth subfamily Phycitinae
Phycitinae
The Phycitinae are a subfamily of snout moths . Even though the Pyralidae subfamilies are all quite diverse, Phycitinae stand out even by standards of their family: with over 600 genera considered valid and more than 4000 species placed here at present, they unite up more than three-quarters of...
. This genus is generally found in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
-Pacific region.
These moths are remarkable for their ability to colonize oceanic islands. Numerous species occur as far offshore as the Marquesas Islands
Marquesas Islands
The Marquesas Islands enana and Te Fenua `Enata , both meaning "The Land of Men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Marquesas are located at 9° 00S, 139° 30W...
. Members of this genus can usually be distinguished from relatives by their 10-veined forewings, with veins 4 and 7 completely absent.
Ernophthora caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s eat living and sometimes dead leaves, which they also spin together with webbing to hide. The foodplants of this genus are not too well known, but appear to be limited by availability rather than being restricted to a particular lineage of plants; recorded are for example Bidens
Bidens
Bidens is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It contains about 200 species. The common names beggarticks, black jack, bur-marigolds, stickseeds, tickseeds and tickseed sunflowers refer to the achene burrs on the seeds of this genus, most of which are barbed...
(beggarticks) and Vaccinium
Vaccinium
Vaccinium is a genus of shrubs or dwarf shrubs in the plant Family Ericaceae. The fruit of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the cranberry, blueberry, bilberry or whortleberry, lingonberry or cowberry, and huckleberry...
(blueberries and relatives), which are both asterids but otherwise unrelated.
Selected species
SpeciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of Ernophthora include:
- Ernophthora aphanoptera Clarke, 1986
- Ernophthora chrysura (Meyrick, 1929) (tentatively placed here)
- Ernophthora denticornis (Meyrick, 1929)
- Ernophthora dryinandra (Meyrick, 1929)
- Ernophthora iospila Clarke, 1986
- Ernophthora lechriogramma Clarke, 1986
- Ernophthora maculicostella (Ragonot, 1888)
- Ernophthora milicha Turner, 1931
- Ernophthora palassoptera Clarke, 1986
- Ernophthora phoenicias Meyrick, 1887
- Ernophthora schematica Turner, 1947)