Family DEPRESSARIIDAE

Depressariid

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Introduction

[After Common in Nielsen et al. (1996: 94)]
The genera of this family have traditionally been treated as a subfamily of the Oecophoridae (e.g. Gaede 1939; Hodges 1974, 1978), but may be distinguished by the gnathos of the male genitalia, in the form of one or more spined knobs. This character also appears in the families Elachistidae, Agonoxenidae and Colephoridae. The group was raised to family status by Common (1990) and Nielsen & Common (1991). However, Minet (1990) suggested that several genera which have more or less erect and exposed pupae, such as Peritornenta Turner, should be included in the Hypertrophinae as a subfamily of a much expanded family Elachistidae.

The world fauna of Depressariidae was treated by Meyrick (1922) as his 'Group 5 Despressariades' of the Oecophoridae. In his catalogue of the Depressariinae Gaede (1939) closely followed Meyrick's (1922) treatment, and Turner (1947) dealt with most of the Australian genera.

The Depressariidae are represented in Australia by 72 described species referred to 24 genera, but reach their greatest development and diversity in the Northern Hemisphere. Eighteen of the Australian genera are endemic, the remainder being shared with New Guinea, South-east Asia and New Zealand (Eutorna Meyrick).

Common in Nielsen et al. (1996) groups the following species as unplaced to genus within Depressariidae:

Cryptolechia coriaria Meyrick, E. (1914). Exotic Microlepidoptera. 1(6-9): 161-192, 193-224, 225-256, 257-288 [173].
Machimia cyphopleura Turner, A.J. (1946). Revision of Australian Lepidoptera. Oecophoridae. XIII. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 70: 93-120 [112].
Machimia dystheata Turner, A.J. (1946). Revision of Australian Lepidoptera. Oecophoridae. XIII. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 70: 93-120 [118].
Oecophora iodes Lower, O.B. (1901). Descriptions of new genera and species of Australian Lepidoptera. Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 25: 63-98 [94].
Cryptolechia anomarcha Meyrick, E. (1915). Exotic Microlepidoptera. 1(10-15): 289-320, 321-352, 353-384, 385-416, 417-448, 449-480 [305].
Zonopetala paroospila Turner, A.J. (1946). Revision of Australian Lepidoptera. Oecophoridae. XIII. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 70: 93-120 [104].

General References

Common, I.F.B. 1990. Moths of Australia. Carlton : Melbourne University Press vi+535 pp., 32 pls.

Gaede, M. 1939. Oecophoridae II. Lepidopterorum Catalogus 92: 209-476

Hodges, R.W. 1974. Gelechioidea Oecophoridae. In, Dominick, R.B. et al. (eds). The Moths of America North of Mexico. London : E.W. Classey Limited and R.B.D. Publications Inc. Vol. 6.2 142+x pp., a+7 pls.

Hodges, R.W. 1978. Gelechioidea: Cosmopterigidae. In, Dominick, R.B. et al. (eds). The Moths of America North of Mexico. London : E.W. Classey Limited & R.B.D. Publications Inc. Vol. 6.1 166+x pp., 6 pls.

Meyrick, E. 1922. Lepidoptera Heterocera. Fam. Oecophoridae. Genera Insectorum 180: 1-224, pls 1-6

Minet, J. 1990. Remaniement partiel de la classification des Gelechioidea, essentiellement en fonction de caractères pré-imaginaux. Alexanor 16: 239-255

Nielsen, E.S. & Common, I.F.B. 1991. Lepidoptera (Moths and Butterflies). pp. 817-915, pls 7, 8 in CSIRO (ed.). The Insects of Australia. 2 vols. Carlton : Melbourne University Press xiii + vi + 1075 pp., 8 pls.

Turner, A.J. 1947. Revision of Australian Lepidoptera. Oecophoridae. XIV. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 72: 143-158

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