Palaephatoidea
Encyclopedia
Palaephatoidea is a superfamily
of insects in the Lepidoptera
order with a single family, Palaephatidae with seven known genera. These "Gondwana
land moths" exhibit a disjunct
distribution occurring mainly in South America
(Davis, 1986), with four species in eastern Australia
and Tasmania
and one in South Africa
(Davis, 1999). The larvae spin together leaves of Proteaceae
(Ptyssoptera) or Verbenaceae
(Azaleodes) (Nielsen, 1987).
Palaephatoidea, a typical monotrysia
n group, is one two main candidates as the sister group of most of the Lepidoptera, the Ditrysia
(see Tischerioidea
and also Wiegmann et al., 2002).
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
of insects in the Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
order with a single family, Palaephatidae with seven known genera. These "Gondwana
Gondwana
In paleogeography, Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago . Gondwana is believed to have sutured between ca. 570 and 510 Mya,...
land moths" exhibit a disjunct
Disjunct
The term disjunct can refer to:* disjunct * disjunct or quincunx in astrology, an aspect made when two planets are 150 degrees, or five signs apart...
distribution occurring mainly in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
(Davis, 1986), with four species in eastern 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...
and Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and one in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
(Davis, 1999). The larvae spin together leaves of Proteaceae
Proteaceae
Proteaceae is a family of flowering plants distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises about 80 genera with about 1600 species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae they make up the order Proteales. Well known genera include Protea, Banksia, Embothrium, Grevillea,...
(Ptyssoptera) or Verbenaceae
Verbenaceae
Verbenaceae, commonly known as the verbena family or vervain family, is a family of mainly tropical flowering plants. It contains trees, shrubs and herbs notable for heads, spikes, or clusters of small flowers, many of which have an aromatic smell.Recent phylogenetic studies have shown that...
(Azaleodes) (Nielsen, 1987).
Palaephatoidea, a typical monotrysia
Monotrysia
The Monotrysia is a group of insects in the Lepidopteran order which is not currently considered to be a natural group or clade. The group contains only moths and most of these are small and are relatively understudied in many regions of the world...
n group, is one two main candidates as the sister group of most of the Lepidoptera, the Ditrysia
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 .About 98% of described species of Lepidoptera belong to Ditrysia...
(see Tischerioidea
Tischerioidea
Tischerioidea is the superfamily of "trumpet" leaf miner moths.This is one candidate as the sister group of the bulk of Lepidoptera, the Ditrysia , and they have a monotrysian type of female reproductive system...
and also Wiegmann et al., 2002).
Sources
- Firefly Encyclopedia of Insects and Spiders, edited by Christopher O'Toole, ISBN 1-55297-612-2, 2002