| Chedra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| holotype of Chedra delector from Chile | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Batrachedridae |
| Genus: | Chedra Hodges, 1966 [1] |
Chedra is a genus of tiny moths, belonging to the family Batrachedridae. [2]
Ron Hodges created the genus in 1966 to accommodate three new species: two from North America and one from Chile. These he found very similar to the genus Batrachedra , but distinct on the basis of the adult males possessing a "single, strong, apical spine on the ampulla" (also known as the harpe), the females he distinguished from those of Batrachedra by the "presence of long apophyses" and the "absence of a signum and accessory pouches, and the corpus bursae being poorly set off from the ductus bursae". At the time Hodges initially classified the genus in the family Gelechioidea. Hodges designated as type species Chedra pensor . [3] [4]
Elwood Zimmerman included it in his subfamily Momphinae of the family Gelechiidae in his 1978 treatment of the microlepidoptera of Hawaii. He expanded the genus be adding two more species, the first by moving a species from Batrachedra to Chedra, the second upon discovery of a new species among the already collected specimens of the first species after closer examination of the type series. [4]
Hodges included the genus in the family Batrachedridae in the 1978 The moths of America north of Mexico, [5] [6] he included it in subfamily Batrachedrinae of the family Coleophoridae in his 1983 Check List of the Lepidoptera of America North of Mexico, [2] [7] but in 1999 he re-classified the genus in his newly re-described subfamily Batrachedrinae, with the same name as earlier, but now within the family Batrachedridae. [7] [8]
The Global Lepidoptera Names Index of the Natural History Museum classifies the genus in the family Coleophoridae, although references are not provided to substantiate this placement. [2] [9]
The etymology of the name for the genus Batrachedra is from two words, 'bactrach' is derived from batrachos, a frog, and edra, a seat (which refers to the particular resting position of the imagoes). Hodges created the name Chedra as a derivative of that, but it means nothing, and is thus a "nonsense name" in the sense of Edward Meyrick. [4]
It is unclear how many species exist of this genus, but the following have been named: [2]
In Chedra delector the caterpillars feed upon the seeds of Cyperaceae, [3] those of C. fimbristyli mine within the leaves of a species of Fimbristylis in the family Cyperaceae, [10] and those of C. microstigma have been found mining in the leaves of Cyperus laevigatus and Scirpus maritimus , also plants of the family Cyperaceae. [4]
Chedra fimbristyli is a nuisance species in a minor traditional fibre plant locally used in the Philippines. [10]
Gelechioidea is the superfamily of moths that contains the case-bearers, twirler moths, and relatives, also simply called curved-horn moths or gelechioid moths. It is a large and poorly understood '"micromoth" superfamily, constituting one of the basal lineages of the Ditrysia.
The Coleophoridae are a family of small moths, belonging to the huge superfamily Gelechioidea. Collectively known as case-bearers, casebearing moths or case moths, this family is represented on all continents, but the majority are found in temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. They are most common in the Palearctic, and rare in sub-Saharan Africa, South America, and Australia; consequently, they probably originated in northern Eurasia. They are relatively common in houses, they seek out moist areas to rest and procreate.
The Batrachedridae are a small family of tiny moths. These are small, slender moths which rest with their wings wrapped tightly around their bodies.
Batrachedra is the largest genus in the moth family Batrachedridae, with representatives all over the world. The early stages of most species are unknown. The genus name is derived from the Greek words batrachos, 'frog', and edra, 'seat', referring to the frog-like resting posture of the adult moths. As of 2018 at least some 114 species are known to belong to the genus.
Pterolonchidae is a small family of very small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. There are species native to every continent except Australia and Antarctica.
Cyperus laevigatus is a species of sedge known by the common name smooth flatsedge.
Homaledra is a small genus of at least four species small moth of the family Pterolonchidae native to North and South America.
Chedra microstigma is a tiny moth of the family Batrachedridae described in 1907. It has only been found on Oahu. It has been found feeding on sedges, plants belonging to the Cyperaceae family, and its larvae host at least three species of parasitoids in Hawaii.
Chedra mimica is a tiny moth of the family Batrachedridae known from Hawaii.
Batrachedrodes is a genus of moths of the Momphidae family. All species of this genus are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Ifeda perobtusa is a species of moth of the family Batrachedridae. It is found in Brazil, British Guiana and Peru. Its alar expense is 8-10mm.
Chedra delector is a tiny moth placed in the family Batrachedridae. The Global Lepidoptera Names Index of the Natural History Museum in London classifies it in the family Coleophoridae based on the old classification given by Ron Hodges in the 1983 Check List of the Lepidoptera of America North of Mexico. It is found in Chile. The holotype was collected by D. Bullock on 30 January 1941 at Angol, in the Malleco Province, central Chile, and is kept at the Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution. The species was described by Ron Hodges in 1966. The caterpillars feed upon the seeds of Cyperaceae.
Chedra pensor is a tiny dwarf moth in the family Batrachedridae. It was collected by Ronald W. Hodges at a place called West Fork, 16 miles (26 km) southwest of Flagstaff, Coconino County, Arizona, in the United States, at 1,981 metres (6,499 ft) in elevation in early July, and subsequently described by him in 1966. It has been found in the US states of California, Arizona and Illinois. The holotype is kept at the Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It is the type species of the genus Chedra.
Homaledra heptathalama, the exclamation moth or palm leaf housemaker, is a moth in the family Pterolonchidae. It was described by August Busck in 1900. It is found in the United States, where it has been recorded from Alabama, Florida and South Carolina.
Homaledra sabalella, the palm leaf skeletonizer moth, is a moth in the family Pterolonchidae. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas. It is also present in Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and Cuba.
Batrachedra meator is a moth in the family Batrachedridae. It is found on St. Lucia.
Batrachedra paritor is a moth in the family Batrachedridae. It is found in Jamaica.
Chedra fimbristyli is a moth in the family Batrachedridae. It was described by Wolfram Mey, in a paper published with Maria J. C. Ceniza in 1993. It is found on the Philippines.
Batrachedra smilacis is a moth in the family Batrachedridae. It is found in China and Korea.
Epimarptidae was a former, or is a possible, monotypic family of moths in the moth superfamily Gelechioidea. It can now be seen as either a synonym of family Batrachedridae, or a monotypic subfamily of that family.
