Agonoxeninae Explained

The Agonoxeninae are a subfamily of moths.

History of classification

Formerly, the subfamily only contained four named species  - all in the type genus Agonoxena  - if (e.g. following Nielsen et al., 1996). Such a monotypic arrangement is fairly unusual in modern taxonomy without explicit need due to phylogenetic constraints.

Hodges (in Kristensen, 1999) retained the Blastodacnidae in the Agonoxenidae, giving a grouping of some 31 genera, and treating the whole as a subfamily Agonoxeninae of the grass-miner moths (Elachistidae). Collectively, the Agonoxenidae and "Blastodacnidae" are known as palm moths.

Genera

• Agonoxena Meyrick, 1921
• Asymphorodes (formerly in Cosmopterigidae)
• Cladobrostis
• Diacholotis
• Gnamptonoma
• Helcanthica
• Ischnopsis
• Nanodacna
• Nicanthes
• Pammeces Zeller, 1863 (formerly in Cosmopterigidae)
• Pauroptila
• Porotica
• Proterocosma (formerly in Cosmopterigidae)

Former genera

Blastodacna, Dystebenna, Haplochrois, Heinemannia and Spuleria are sometimes placed here, sometimes in the Elachistidae (or Blastodacnidae).

Other genera formerly placed here:

• Chrysoclista
• Colonophora
• Glaucacna
• Palaeomystella
• Panclintis
• Prochola
• Tocasta Busck, 1912
• Zaratha

References

• Nielsen E.S., Edwards E.D. & Rangsi T.V. (eds.) (1996), Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia; Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 4; CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 1996
• Kristensen, N.P. (ed.), 1999. Handbook of Zoology: Bd. 4. Arthropoda: Insecta. Teilbd. 35, Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies. Vol. 1. Evolution, systematics, and biogeography. W.de Gruyter, Berlin.