Andesiana is a genus representing its own family Andesianidae and superfamily Andesianoidea, the "Andean endemic moths". It contains three species with a wingspan up to 5.4 cm. in female A. similis and 3.5 cm. in males. This far surpasses in size any previously known monotrysian moth. These large Microlepidoptera are restricted to Andean South America, from where they were described originally in 1989 in the family Cossidae by their discoverer Patricia Gentili.

Systematics

The vein "R2" in the hind wing is two-branched, suggesting that the Andesianidae family is basal to the superfamily Nepticulidae, but the way the wings are coupled suggests it had a later origination within the Monotrysia, where it can be placed based on characters of the female reproductive system. The relationships of Andesiana with representatives of other lepidopteran superfamilies is currently under investigation using DNA sequences .

Morphology and identification

The labial palpi have an elongated second segment, the

tibia of the male hind leg has a "hairpencil" contained in a pouch on the femur, and the antennae are "bipectinate" in the male and "filiform" in the female; the proboscis is much reduced.

Distribution

The genus is found in Nothofagus forests of Andean Chile and Argentina.

Nomenclatural notes

Lepindex accessed March 2007 incorrectly places the species "neurotenes Turner 1932" from Queensland in the genus "Andesiana, Gentili, 1986" of which the database suggests Archaeoses Turner, 1932 (a cossid )is a junior subjective synonym. Presumably this is not to be confused with an Oecophoridae moth of the same name neurotenes described by Turner in the genus Antiopala in 1939 and currently placed in the genus Prepalla

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Arthropoda - Insecta - Superfamilies of Lepidoptera
Butterflies
Hedyloidea
Hesperioidea
Papilionoidea
Nemophora degeerella
Larger Moths
Bombycoidea
Calliduloidea
Cimelioidea
Drepanoidea
Geometroidea
Immoidea
Lasiocampoidea
Mimallonoidea
Noctuoidea
Sphingoidea
Microlepidoptera
Monotrysia
Andesianoidea
Nepticuloidea
Incurvarioidea
Tischerioidea
Palaephatoidea
Ditrysian micros
Acanthopteroctetoidea
Alucitoidea
Choreutoidea
Copromorphoidea
Cossoidea
Epermenioidea
Galacticoidea
Gelechioidea
Gracillarioidea
Hyblaeoidea
Incurvarioidea
Pterophoroidea
Pyraloidea
Schreckensteinioidea
Sesioidea
Simaethistoidea
Thyridoidea
Tineoidea
Tortricoidea
Urodoidea
Whalleyanoidea
Yponomeutoidea
Zygaenoidea
Basal lineages
Micropterigoidea
Agathiphagoidea
Eriocranioidea
Hepialoidea
Heterobathmioidea
Lophocoronoidea
Mnesarchaeoidea
Neopseustoidea
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Extant Lepidoptera families
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Infraclass: Neoptera
Superorder: Endopterygota

Suborder Zeugloptera
Micropterigoidea
Micropterigidae (mandibulate archaic moths)

Suborder Aglossata
Agathiphagoidea
Agathiphagidae (kauri moths)

Suborder Heterobathmiina
Heterobathmioidea
Heterobathmiidae

Suborder Glossata
Dacnonypha
Eriocranioidea
Eriocraniidae
Acanthoctesia
Acanthopteroctetoidea
Acanthopteroctetidae (archaic sun moths)
Lophocoronina
Lophocoronoidea
Lophocoronidae
Neopseustina
Neopseustoidea
Neopseustidae (archaic bell moths)
Exoporia
Hepialoidea
Anomosetidae
Hepialidae (swift moths, ghost moths)
Neotheoridae (Amazonian primitive ghost moths)
Palaeosetidae (miniature ghost moths)
Prototheoridae (African primitive ghost moths)
Mnesarchaeoidea
Mnesarchaeidae (New Zealand primitive moths)
Heteroneura Monotrysia
Incurvarioidea
Adelidae (fairy longhorn moths)
Cecidosidae
Crinopterygidae
Heliozelidae
Incurvariidae
Prodoxidae (yucca moths)
Andesianoidea
Andesianidae (Andean endemic moths)
Nepticuloidea
Nepticulidae (pigmy, or midget moths)
Opostegidae (white eyecap moths)
Palaephatoidea
Palaephatidae (Gondwanaland moths)
Tischerioidea
Tischeriidae (trumpet leaf miner moths)
Ditrysia
Simaethistoidea
Simaethistidae
Tineoidea
Acrolophidae (burrowing webworm moths)
Arrhenophanidae
Eriocottidae (Old World spiny-winged moths)
Lypusidae
Psychidae (bagworm moths)
Tineidae (fungus moths)
Gracillarioidea
Bucculatricidae (ribbed cocoon makers)
Douglasiidae (Douglas moths)
Gracillariidae
Roeslerstammiidae
Yponomeutoidea
Acrolepiidae (false diamondback moths)
Bedelliidae
Glyphipterigidae (sedge moths)
Heliodinidae
Lyonetiidae
Plutellidae
Yponomeutidae (ermine moths)
Ypsolophidae
Gelechioidea
Agonoxenidae (palm moths)
Batrachedridae
Blastobasidae
Coleophoridae (case-bearers, case moths)
Cosmopterigidae (cosmet moths)
Elachistidae (grass-miner moths)
Ethmiidae
Gelechiidae (twirler moths)
Holcopogonidae
Lecithoceridae (long-horned moths)
Metachandidae
Momphidae (mompha moths)
Oecophoridae (concealer moths)
Chimabachidae
Pterolonchidae
Scythrididae (flower moths)
Symmocidae
Xyloryctidae (timber moths)
Galacticoidea
Galacticidae
Zygaenoidea
Heterogynidae
Zygaenidae (burnet, forester, or smoky moths)
Himantopteridae
Lacturidae
Somabrachyidae
Megalopygidae (flannel moths)
Aididae
Anomoeotidae
Cyclotornidae
Epipyropidae (planthopper parasite moths)
Dalceridae (slug caterpillars)
Limacodidae (slug, or cup moths)
Cossoidea
Cossidae (carpenter millers, or goat moths)
Dudgeoneidae (dudgeon carpenter moths)
Sesioidea
Brachodidae (little bear moths)
Castniidae (castniid moths: giant butterfly-moths, sun moths)
Sesiidae (clearwing moths)
Choreutoidea
Choreutidae (metalmark moths)
Tortricoidea
Tortricidae (tortrix moths)
Urodoidea
Urodidae (false burnet moths)
Schreckensteinioidea
Schreckensteiniidae (bristle-legged moths)
Epermenioidea
Epermeniidae (fringe-tufted moths)
Alucitoidea
Alucitidae (many-plumed moths)
Tineodidae (false plume moths)
Pterophoroidea
Pterophoridae (plume moths)
Whalleyanoidea
Whalleyanidae
Immoidea
Immidae
Copromorphoidea
Copromorphidae (tropical fruitworm moths)
Carposinidae (fruitworm moths)
Hyblaeoidea
Hyblaeidae (teak moths)
Pyraloidea
Pyralidae (snout moths)
Crambidae (grass moth)
Thyridoidea
Thyrididae (picture-winged leaf moths)
Mimallonoidea
Mimallonidae (sack bearer moths)
Lasiocampoidea
Lasiocampidae (eggars, snout moths, or lappet moths)
Bombycoidea
Anthelidae (Australian lappet moth)
Bombycidae (silk moths)
Brahmaeidae (Brahmin moths)
Carthaeidae (Dryandra moth)
Endromidae (Kentish Glory and relatives)
Eupterotidae
Lemoniidae
Saturniidae (saturniids)
Sphingidae (hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms)
Phiditiidae
Noctuoidea
Doidae
Erebidae (underwing, tiger, tussock, litter, snout, owlet moths)
Euteliidae
Noctuidae (daggers, sallows, owlet moths, quakers, cutworms, darts)
Nolidae (tuft moths)
Notodontidae (prominents, kittens)
Oenosandridae
Drepanoidea
Epicopeiidae (oriental swallowtail moths)
Drepanidae (hook-tips)
Geometroidea
Sematuridae
Uraniidae
Geometridae (geometer moths)
Cimelioidea
Cimeliidae (gold moths)
Calliduloidea
Callidulidae (Old World butterfly-moths)
Superfamily unassigned
Millieriidae
Rhopalocera
(butterflies)
Hedyloidea
Hedylidae (American moth-butterflies)
Hesperioidea
Hesperiidae (skippers)
Papilionoidea
(true butterflies)
Lycaenidae (gossamer-winged butterflies: blues, coppers and relatives)
Nymphalidae (brush-footed, or four-footed butterflies)
Papilionidae (swallowtail butterflies)
Pieridae (whites, yellows, orangetips, sulphurs)
Riodinidae (metalmarks)
Note: division Monotrysia is not a clade.
Taxonomy of the Lepidoptera · Lists by region