Ephysteris

Ephysteris is a genus of the twirler moth family (Gelechiidae). Among these, it is assigned to tribe Gnorimoschemini of the subfamily Gelechiinae. Even though it is a rather diverse and widespread group, most of these small and inconspicuous moths were overlooked by scientists until the early 20th century. Almost 90 species are known today, but new ones are still being discovered.

Ephysteris
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Gelechiidae
Tribe: Gnorimoschemini
Genus: Ephysteris
Meyrick, 1908
Type species
Ephysteris chersaea
Meyrick, 1908
Diversity
87, but see text
Synonyms

[1]
Echinoglossa J.F.G.Clarke, 1965
Epenteris (lapsus)
Ephystereris (lapsus)
Microcraspedus Janse, 1958
Ochrodia Povolny, 1966
Opacopsis Povolny, 1964
(but see text)

These moths typically have forewing veins 2 and 3 separate but veins 6-8 originating from a common stalk. Somewhat less characteristically, their labial palps have a pointed tip and a furrow on the second segment.[2]

Ochrodia and Opacopsis were initially established as subgenera of Ephysteris but elevated to full genus status later. However, this is not universally accepted and both are included in the present genus here. Microcraspedus is another subgenus of Ephysteris, to which many of the European species are assigned; Echinoglossa is another. But before any of these can be accepted as subgenus or even distinct genus, the internal systematics of Ephysteris sensu lato are in need of review.[3]

Species

The species of Ephysteris are:[4]

Mostly placed in Ochrodia

Former species

Footnotes
  1. Pitkin & Jenkins (2004), ABRS (2010)
  2. Clarke (1986)
  3. Pitkin & Jenkins (2004a), FE (2011), and see references in Savela (2001)
  4. Wikispecies (2010-JUN-16), FE (2011)
  5. Some sources give the type species as Gelechia artemisie, but the type specimen was actually of "var. inustella": Pitkin & Jenkins (2004b).

References
  • Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) (2010): Australian Faunal Directory – Ephysteris. Version of 2010-NOV-18. Retrieved 2011-OCT-17.
  • Clarke, John Frederick Gates (1986): Pyralidae and Microlepidoptera of the Marquesas Archipelago. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 416: 1-485. PDF fulltext (214 MB!)
  • Fauna Europaea (FE) (2011): Ephysteris. Version 2.4, 2011-JAN-27. Retrieved 2011-OCT-17.
  • Pitkin, Brian & Jenkins, Paul (2004a): Butterflies and Moths of the World, Generic Names and their Type-species – Ephysteris. Version of 2004-NOV-05. Retrieved 2011-OCT-17.
  • Pitkin, Brian & Jenkins, Paul (2004b): Butterflies and Moths of the World, Generic Names and their Type-species – Opacopsis. Version of 2004-NOV-05. Retrieved 2011-OCT-17.
  • Savela, Markku (2001): Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms – Ephysteris. Version of 2001-NOV-08. Retrieved 2011-OCT-17.
  • Junnilainen, J. & K. Nupponen, 2010: The gelechiid fauna of the southern Ural Mountains, part I: descriptions of seventeen new species (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Zootaxa 2366: 1-34. Abstract: .
  • Li, H.-H. & O. Bidzilya, 2008: A review of the genus Ehystris Meyrick, 1908 from China, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Zootaxa 1733: 45-56 Abstract: .
  • Mey, W., 2011: New and little known species of Lepidoptera of southwestern Africa. Esperiana Buchreihe zur Entomologie Memoir 6: 146-261.
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