Phycita
Encyclopedia
Phycita is a genus
of small moths
belonging to the snout moth family
(Pyralidae). They are the type genus
of their tribe
Phycitini and of the huge snout moth subfamily Phycitinae
.
The type species
of this widespread genus is Phycita roborella
, under its obsolete name Tinea spissicella. This is believed by many authors to have been described in J. Fabricius
' Entomologia systematica in the 1790s. However, it appears that Fabricius described the species in his 1776/1777 Genera insectorum already. Fabricius himself established the present genus under the name Phycis.
But this name had already been used for a genus of northern hakes
by P. Artedi
in his catalogue of fishes (Petri Artedi sueci genera piscium), edited and published posthumously by J. Walbaum
in 1792. When this name was replaced, Fabricius' earlier description of the type species was overlooked, eventurally rendering it a nomen oblitum
. In any case, the same moth had been first described as Phalaena (Tinea) roborella by M. Denis
and I. Schiffermüller
in 1775, and thus their species name has priority over that of Fabricius. Replacement names for Fabricius' Phycis were proposed at almost the same time in 1828 by J. Curtis
and L. Thienemann
, but the latter's proposal Ceratium was also unavailable, having been established for a dinoflagellate genus
by F. v. Schrank
in 1793. To add further confusion, some authors have claimed that Ceratium was again established for the present genus in 1848 by J. v. Gistel
, but this is not correct &ndahs; Gistel merely discussed Thienemann's and v. Schrank's names and (unnecessarily) proposed Gyra to replace the latter, adding yet another invalid name to the synonymy of Phycita.
Phycita species can be hard to tell apart from related moths in the field. The combination of 11 veins in the forewing (vein 7 missing altogether) and an upward-pointing "snout" formed by the long and straight labial palps, whose second segment is much longer than the third, may be diagnostic. The caterpillar
's food plants are not comprehensively documented, but seem to include trees of the eurosids I clade
and perhaps others.
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 are the type genus
Type genus
In biological classification, a type genus is a representative genus, as with regard to a biological family. The term and concept is used much more often and much more formally in zoology than it is in botany, and the definition is dependent on the nomenclatural Code that applies:* In zoological...
of their 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...
Phycitini and 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...
.
The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of this widespread genus is Phycita roborella
Phycita roborella
Phycita roborella is a moth of the family Pyralidae. It is – under its junior synonym Tinea spissicella – the type species of its genus Phycita, and by extension of the subfamily Phycitinae....
, under its obsolete name Tinea spissicella. This is believed by many authors to have been described in J. Fabricius
Johan Christian Fabricius
Johan Christian Fabricius was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others...
' Entomologia systematica in the 1790s. However, it appears that Fabricius described the species in his 1776/1777 Genera insectorum already. Fabricius himself established the present genus under the name Phycis.
But this name had already been used for a genus of northern hakes
Phycidae
Phycidae is a family of hakes in the order Gadiformes. They are native to the Atlantic Ocean, but the juveniles of some species enter estuaries.Joseph Nelson classifies this family as the subfamily Phycinae of the cod family, Gadidae.-Species:...
by P. Artedi
Peter Artedi
Peter Artedi or Petrus Arctaedius was a Swedish naturalist and is known as the "father of Ichthyology."...
in his catalogue of fishes (Petri Artedi sueci genera piscium), edited and published posthumously by J. Walbaum
Johann Julius Walbaum
Johann Julius Walbaum was a physician, naturalist and taxonomist. He was the first to describe many previously unknown species from remote parts of the globe, such as the Great Barracuda , the Chum salmon from the Kamchatka River in Siberia, and the curimatá-pacú Johann Julius Walbaum (30 June...
in 1792. When this name was replaced, Fabricius' earlier description of the type species was overlooked, eventurally rendering it a nomen oblitum
Nomen oblitum
A nomen oblitum is a technical term, used in zoological nomenclature, for a particular kind of disused scientific name....
. In any case, the same moth had been first described as Phalaena (Tinea) roborella by M. Denis
Michael Denis
Johann Nepomuk Cosmas Michael Denis, also: SinedSined is an anagram of Denis. the Bard, was an Austrian poet, bibliographer, and lepidopterist....
and I. Schiffermüller
Ignaz Schiffermüller
Ignaz Schiffermüller was an Austrian naturalist mainly interested in Lepidoptera....
in 1775, and thus their species name has priority over that of Fabricius. Replacement names for Fabricius' Phycis were proposed at almost the same time in 1828 by J. Curtis
John Curtis (entomologist)
John Curtis was an English entomologist and illustrator.-Biography:Curtis was born in Norwich and learned his engraving skills in the workshop of his father, Charles Morgan Curtis...
and L. Thienemann
Ludwig Thienemann
Friedrich August Ludwig Thienemann was a German physician and naturalist.Ludwig Thienemann was the son of Johann August Thienemann and Johanne Eleonora Friederike née Schreiber . He graduated as a doctor in 1819 and then travelled in Europe for two years, spending thirteen months in Iceland...
, but the latter's proposal Ceratium was also unavailable, having been established for a dinoflagellate genus
Ceratium
Ceratium is a genus of dinoflagellate....
by F. v. Schrank
Franz Paula von Schrank
Franz von Paula Schrank was a German botanist and entomologist.Schrank was the first director of the botanical gardens in Munich from 1809 to 1832.Shrank was the first author to use the genus name Triops...
in 1793. To add further confusion, some authors have claimed that Ceratium was again established for the present genus in 1848 by J. v. Gistel
Johannes von Nepomuk Franz Xaver Gistel
Johannes von Nepomuk Franz Xaver Gistel Johannes von Nepomuk Franz Xaver Gistel Johannes von Nepomuk Franz Xaver Gistel (1809 - 1873 (or 1874) was a German naturalist.He was the author of works on entomology such as Die jetzt lebenden Entomologen, Kerffreunde und kerfsammler Europa’s und der...
, but this is not correct &ndahs; Gistel merely discussed Thienemann's and v. Schrank's names and (unnecessarily) proposed Gyra to replace the latter, adding yet another invalid name to the synonymy of Phycita.
Phycita species can be hard to tell apart from related moths in the field. The combination of 11 veins in the forewing (vein 7 missing altogether) and an upward-pointing "snout" formed by the long and straight labial palps, whose second segment is much longer than the third, may be diagnostic. The 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 food plants are not comprehensively documented, but seem to include trees of the eurosids I clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
and perhaps others.