Ethmiopsis

Ethmiopsis is a genus of the twirler moth family (Gelechiidae). Among these, it was previously assigned to subfamily Pexicopiinae, but later moved to the Chelariini tribe.

Ethmiopsis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Gelechiidae
Genus:
Ethmiopsis

Meyrick in Caradja & Meyrick, 1935
Type species
Ethmiopsis prosectrix
Meyrick in Caradja & Meyrick, 1935
Synonyms

[1]
Homochelas J.F.G.Clarke, 1969 (unjustified emendation)
Homoshelas Meyrick in Caradja & Meyrick, 1935
Chelophoba Meyrick, 1935
Cheiophoba (lapsus)

Species

Species of Ethmiopsis are:

Taxonomy

At least some of these moths are characterized by a short scape and a triangular tuft of short hairs on the tip of the second labial palp segment. These traits are shared by the enigmatic Chelophoba melaina, and Clarke stated that it might be warranted to include this (or even all of Chelophoba) in Ethmiopsis.[2] Ponomarenko eventually treated Chelophoba as a synonym of Ethmiopsis in 1997.

The species formerly placed in Chelophoba are widely allopatric, with C. aganactes occurring in China and C. melaina only known from Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia. The latter species was thought to actually be more closely related to some twirler moths usually placed in Hypatima. At the time of description, it was unknown whether Chelophoba was monotypic and "C." melaina would in Hypatima, or whether the other species ought to be moved into Chelophoba. Alternatively, it was proposed that C. melaina might belong in the genus Ethmiopsis, as it resembles E. epichthonia in some anatomical details; Clarke stated that perhaps Chelophoba might be synonymized with Ethmiopsis outright.[3]

Footnotes
  1. Pitkin & Jenkins (2004ab)
  2. Clarke (1986)
  3. Pitkin & Jenkins (2004), Clarke (1986)

References


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