Mnesarchaeoidea
| Mnesarchaeoidea | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Mnesarchaeidae |
| Genus: |
Mnesarchaea Meyrick, 1885 |
| Species | |
|
See text. |
|
| Diversity | |
| 7 described species | |
See text.
Mnesarchaeoidea is a superfamily of "New Zealand primitive moths" containing one family, Mnesarchaeidae and a single genus, Mnesarchaea, endemic to New Zealand.
Mnesarchaeoidea constitutes the living sister taxon to the superfamily Hepialoidea.
The mouthparts of the adult moths are functional, unlike Hepialoidea. About seven species are not yet described, and the group is under revision by Gibbs et al. (see also Gibbs, 1979; Dugdale, 1988).
The moths are mostly day-flying. The larvae live in silken galleries among liverworts and soil detritus. See Kristensen (1999: 57-59) for more details.
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