Micropterigoidea is the superfamily of "mandibulate archaic moths", all placed in the single family Micropterigidae, containing currently about twenty living genera. They are considered the most primitive

extant Extant is the opposite of the word extinct. It may refer to: * Extant hereditary titles * Extant literature, surviving literature, such as ''Beowulf'', the oldest extant manuscript written in English * Extant taxon, a taxon which is not extinct, ...

lineage of

lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described speci ...

(Kristensen, 1999). The name comes from the Greek for ''mikros'', little and ''pterux'', a wing. The fossil record of the group goes back to the middle-late

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...

with the earliest known species being '' Auliepterix'' from the

Karabastau Formation The Karabastau Formation ( kk, Qarabastaý svıtasy) is a geological formation and lagerstätte in the Karatau Mountains of southern Kazakhstan whose strata date to the Middle to Late Jurassic. It is an important locality for insect fossils that ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

Micropterigidae phylogenetic relationships

Genera

* '' Micropterix'' Hübner, 1825 * '' Epimartyria'' Walsingham, 1898 * ''

Issikiomartyria ''Issikiomartyria'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae. Species *''Issikiomartyria akemiae'' Hashimoto, 2006 *''Issikiomartyria bisegmentata'' Hashimoto, 2006 *''Issikiomartyria distincta'' Hashimoto, 2006 ...

'' Hashimoto, 2006 * '' Kurokopteryx'' Hashimoto, 2006 * ''

Micropardalis ''Sabatinca'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae. ''Palaeomicra'' and '' Micropardalis'' were both established as subgenera of ''Sabatinca'', but were both raised to generic level by Joël Minet in 1985. H ...

'' Meyrick, 1912 * ''

Neomicropteryx ''Neomicropteryx'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae. Species *''Neomicropteryx bifurca'' Issiki, 1953 *''Neomicropteryx cornuta'' Issiki, 1953 *''Neomicropteryx elongata'' Issiki, 1953 *''Neomicroptery ...

'' Issiki, 1931 * ''

Palaeomicra ''Sabatinca'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae. '' Palaeomicra'' and '' Micropardalis'' were both established as subgenera of ''Sabatinca'', but were both raised to generic level by Joël Minet in 1985. ...

'' Meyrick, 1888 * ''

Palaeomicroides ''Palaeomicroides'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae. The genus is endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, co ...

'' Issiki, 1931 * ''

Paramartyria ''Paramartyria'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae Micropterigoidea is the superfamily of "mandibulate archaic moths", all placed in the single family Micropterigidae, containing currently about twenty ...

'' Issiki, 1931 * ''

Vietomartyria ''Vietomartyria'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae Micropterigoidea is the superfamily of "mandibulate archaic moths", all placed in the single family Micropterigidae, containing currently about twent ...

'' Mey, 1997 * ''

Sabatinca ''Sabatinca'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae. ''Palaeomicra'' and ''Micropardalis'' were both established as subgenera of ''Sabatinca'', but were both raised to generic level by Joël Minet in 1985. Ho ...

'' Walker, 1863 * ''

Agrionympha ''Agrionympha'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae, and the sole genus of the family known to occur in southern Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, aft ...

'' Meyrick, 1921 * ''

Hypomartyria ''Hypomartyria'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae Micropterigoidea is the superfamily of "mandibulate archaic moths", all placed in the single family Micropterigidae, containing currently about twenty ...

'' Kristensen & Nielsen 1982 * ''

Squamicornia ''Squamicornia'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae. Species *''Squamicornia aequatoriella ''Squamicornia aequatoriella'' is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It was described by ...

'' Kristensen & Nielsen, 1982 * ''

Austromartyria ''Austromartyria'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae Micropterigoidea is the superfamily of "mandibulate archaic moths", all placed in the single family Micropterigidae, containing currently about twent ...

'' Gibbs, 2010 * ''

Tasmantrix ''Tasmantrix'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae. Species *''Tasmantrix calliplaca'' (Meyrick, 1922) *''Tasmantrix fragilis'' Gibbs, 2010 *''Tasmantrix lunaris'' Gibbs, 2010 *''Tasmantrix nigrocornis'' Gib ...

'' Gibbs, 2010 * ''

Zealandopterix ''Zealandopterix'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae Micropterigoidea is the superfamily of "mandibulate archaic moths", all placed in the single family Micropterigidae, containing currently about twent ...

'' Gibbs, 2010 * ''

Aureopterix ''Aureopterix'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae. Species *''Aureopterix micans'' Gibbs, 2010 *''Aureopterix sterops ''Aureopterix sterops'' is a moth of the family Micropterigidae. It is known from e ...

'' Gibbs, 2010 * ''

Nannopterix ''Nannopterix'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the familyMicropterigidae Micropterigoidea is the superfamily of "mandibulate archaic moths", all placed in the single family Micropterigidae, containing currently about twenty li ...

'' Gibbs, 2010

Extinct genera

* †'' Archmosaicus'' Zhang, Deng et Ren'','' 2020

Burmese amber Burmese amber, also known as Burmite or Kachin amber, is amber from the Hukawng Valley in northern Myanmar. The amber is dated to around 100 million years ago, during the latest Albian to earliest Cenomanian ages of the mid-Cretaceous period. The ...

, Myanmar,

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the ICS' geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age of the Late Cretaceous Epoch or the lowest stage of the Upper Cretaceous Series. An age is a unit of geochronology; it is a unit of time; the stage is a unit in ...

*† '' Auliepterix'' Kozlov, 1989

, Kazakhstan,

Callovian In the geologic timescale, the Callovian is an age and stage in the Middle Jurassic, lasting between 166.1 ± 4.0 Ma (million years ago) and 163.5 ± 4.0 Ma. It is the last stage of the Middle Jurassic, following the Bathonian and preceding the ...

/ Oxfordian Hotont Formation, Mongolia,

Aptian The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous Epoch or Series and encompasses the time from 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma to 113.0 ± 1.0 Ma (million years ag ...

* † '' Baltimartyria'' Skalski, 1995

Baltic amber The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber or succinite. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that these forests created more than ...

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', ...

* †'' Electrocrania'' Kuznetsov 1941 Baltic amber, Eocene * † '' Moleropterix'' Engel & Kinzelbach, 2008

Fur Formation The Fur Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian ( Lower Eocene Epoch, c. 56.0-54.5 Ma) age which crops out in the Limfjord region of Denmark from Silstrup via Mors and Fur to Ertebølle, and can be seen in many cliffs and quarries ...

, Denmark,

Ypresian In the geologic timescale the Ypresian is the oldest age or lowest stratigraphic stage of the Eocene. It spans the time between , is preceded by the Thanetian Age (part of the Paleocene) and is followed by the Eocene Lutetian Age. The Ypresian ...

* † '' Palaeosabatinca'' Kozlov, 1989

Zaza Formation The Zaza Formation is a geological formation located in Buryatia (Russia). It dates to the Lower Cretaceous period. It is Aptian in age and consists of sandstones, siltstones, marls and bituminous shales, deposited in a stratified lake. It is s ...

, Russia, Aptian * † '' Parasabatinca'' Whalley, 1978

Lebanese amber Lebanese amber is fossilized resin found in Lebanon and southwest Syria. It dates back approximately 130-125 million years to the Barremian of the Early Cretaceous. It formed on what was then the northern coast of Gondwana, believed to be a tropica ...

, Barremian,

Crato Formation The Crato Formation is a geologic formation of Early Cretaceous (Aptian) age in northeastern Brazil's Araripe Basin. It is an important Lagerstätte (undisturbed fossil accumulation) for palaeontologists. The strata were laid down mostly during ...

, Brazil, Aptian

References

* Kristensen, N. P., and E. S. Nielsen. 1979. A new subfamily of micropterigid moths from South America. A contribution to the morphology and phylogeny of the Micropterigidae, with a generic catalogue of the family (Lepidoptera: Zeugloptera). ''Steenstrupia'' 5(7):69–147. * Kristensen, N. P. (1999). The non-Glossatan Moths. Ch. 4, pp. 41–49 in Kristensen, N. P. (Ed.). ''Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies''. Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbuch der Zoologie. Eine Naturgeschichte der Stämme des Tierreiches / Handbook of Zoology. A Natural History of the phyla of the Animal Kingdom. Band / Volume IV Arthropoda: Insecta Teilband / Part 35: 491 pp. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York.

Sources

* O'Toole, Christopher. 2002. ''Firefly Encyclopedia of Insects and Spiders''. .

External links

Tree of Life

U.S.A. Nearctic

Detailed description and figures including wing venation. {{Taxonbar, from=Q280818 Moth families Taxa named by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer