Simaethistoidea

Simaethistoidea is an obscure superfamily of pyralid-like moths with two genera, whose biology and relationships among the Ditrysia is currently unknown, namely the Australian Metaprotus (2 species) and the China and North Indian Simaethistis (2 species) (Dugdale et al., 1999).

Simaethistoidea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Infraorder:	Heteroneura
Clade:	Eulepidoptera
Clade:	Ditrysia
Clade:	Apoditrysia
Superfamily:	Simaethistoidea
Family:	Simaethistidae
Diversity
4 species in Australia, China and India

Genera and species

• Metaprotus Hampson, 1899
• Simaethistis Hampson, 1896

References

• Dugdale, J.S., Kristensen, N.P., Robinson, G.S. and Scoble, M.J. (1999). The smaller microlepidoptera-grade superfamilies. Ch. 13, P. 219 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.
• Firefly Encyclopedia of Insects and Spiders, edited by Christopher O'Toole, ISBN 1-55297-612-2, 2002

External links

• Tree of Life
• Australian Moths Online
• Simaethistoidea at Australian Faunal Directory