| Aenigmatineidae | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Suborder: | Glossata |
| Family: | Aenigmatineidae Kristensen & Edwards, 2015 |
| Genus: | Aenigmatinea Kristensen & Edwards, 2015 |
| Species: | A. glatzella |
| Binomial name | |
| Aenigmatinea glatzella Kristensen & Edwards, 2015 | |
Aenigmatineidae is a family ofbasalLepidoptera,moths discovered onKangaroo Island inSouth Australia by Dr Richard Glatz. The family is based on a single species discovered in 2015,Aenigmatinea glatzella, commonly known as theenigma moth.[1] The larvae feed on conifers by mining the stem ofCallitris plants in thecypress family. The adult has highly reduced mouthparts but its position in theGlossata containing the more familiar moths-with-tongues is confirmed by morphological and DNA sequence similarity. The group is best treated as a sister of the familyNeopseustidae.[2]
A phylogenetic analysis finds Aenigmatineidae as sister to familyNeopseustidae in a clade withAcanthopteroctetidae. This clade is sister to theHeteroneura, which contains the large majority ofmoths and thebutterflies.[2]
