Axia

Taxobox | name = "Axia"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
subordo = Glossata
infraordo = Heteroneura
unranked_familia = Ditrysia
superfamilia = Cimelioidea
familia = Cimeliidae
genus ="Axia"
genus_authority = Hübner, 1821
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
*"Axia margarita" (Hübner 1813)
*nowrap|"Axia napoleona" Schawerda, 1926
*"Axia nesiota" Reisser 1962
*"Axia olga" (Staudinger, 1899)
*"Axia vaulogeri" Staudinger, 1892
synonyms = "Timia" Boisduval, 1828
"Cimelia" Lederer, 1853
"Cimetimia" Chrétien, 1916

"Axia" or the "Gold Moths" is a genus of moths whose precise relationships within the Macrolepidoptera [http://www.tolweb.org/Macrolepidoptera] are currently uncertain, but they currently represent a superfamily whose nearest relatives include the butterflies, Calliduloidea, Drepanoidea, Geometroidea, Bombycoidea, Mimallonoidea and Lasiocampoidea, and the Noctuoidea. Uniquely, they have a pair of pocket-like organs on the seventh abdominal spiracle of the adult moth cite book |author=J. Minet |year=1999 |chapter=The Axioidea and Calliduloidea |pages=257-261 |editor=N. P. Kristensen |title=Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies. Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbuch der Zoologie. Eine Naturgeschichte der Stämme des Tierreiches |publisher=Walter de Gruyter, Berlin & New York] which are only possibly sound receptive organs [cite book |author=J. Minet & A. Surlykke |year=2003 |pages=289-323 |chapter=Auditory and sound producing organs |editor=N. P. Kristensen |title=Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies. Volume 2: Morphology and Physiology. Handbuch der Zoologie. Eine Naturgeschichte der Stämme des Tierreiches |publisher=Walter de Gruyter, Berlin] . They are quite large and brightly coloured moths that occur only in Southern Europe and feed on species of "Euphorbia". Sometimes they are attracted to light .

One species, "Epicimelia theresiae", was formerly included in this genus, but has since been recognized as distinct; it is the only other described species in the family. [ [http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/46.3/262.pdf] Shen-Horn Yen and Joël Minet (2007) Cimelioidea: A New Superfamily Name for the Gold Moths (Lepidoptera: Glossata). "Zoological Studies" 46(3): 262-271]

References

ources

*De Freina, J.J. and Witt, T.J, (1987) "Die Bombyces und Sphinges der Westpalearktis".; ISBN 3-926285-00-1
*"Firefly Encyclopedia of Insects and Spiders", edited by Christopher O'Toole, ISBN 1-55297-612-2, 2002

External links

* [http://www.leps.it/indexjs.htm?SpeciesPages/AxiaMarga.htm Axia margarita]
* [http://www.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/axioidea/axiidae/axia/index.html Markku Savela's website]
* [http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=295599 Fauna Europaea]