Chelophoba

Chelophoba is a small and enigmatic genus of the twirler moth family (Gelechiidae). Among these, it is one of many lineages whose precise relationships are still obscure, though they are presumed to belong to the subfamily Pexicopiinae.

In their forewings, the second vein is separate from the third like in some other twirler moths. It is by the overall venation pattern of the wing that Chelophoba moths can be recognized.^[1]

The species placed here at present are:^[1]

• Chelophoba aganactes Meyrick in Caradja & Meyrick, 1935
• Chelophoba melaina J.F.G.Clarke, 1986

They 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 might actually be more closely related to some twirler moths usually placed in Hypatima which does not belong to the Pexicopiinae. It is unknown at present whether Chelophoba is monotypic and "C." melaina belongs in Hypatima, or whether the other species ought to be moved into Chelophoba. Alternatively, C. melaina might belong in the Pexicopiinae genus Ethmiopsis, as it resembles E. epichthonia in some anatomical details; perhaps Chelophoba might be synonymized with Ethmiopsis outright.^[2]

Footnotes

References

• Clarke, John Frederick Gates (1986): Pyralidae and Microlepidoptera of the Marquesas Archipelago. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 416: 1-485. PDF fulltext (214 MB!)
• Pitkin, Brian & Jenkins, Paul (2004): Butterflies and Moths of the World, Generic Names and their Type-species – Chelophoba. Version of 2004-NOV-05. Retrieved 2011-OCT-16.