Limnaecia recidiva
| Limnaecia recidiva | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Cosmopterigidae |
| Genus: | Limnaecia |
| Species: | L. recidiva
|
| Binomial name | |
| Limnaecia recidiva Meyrick, 1911
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Limnaecia recidiva is a species of moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. It was first described by British entomologist Edward Meyrick in 1911.[2] The species is **endemic to South Africa**.[3]
Taxonomy
Limnaecia recidiva was originally described under the genus Limnoecia, but has since been reassigned to the genus Limnaecia based on morphological characteristics consistent with Cosmopterigidae taxonomy.[4][2]
Description
Although specific morphological details of L. recidiva are not extensively documented in open-access literature, Meyrick’s original description places it among other narrow-winged species of Cosmopterigidae. Members of this genus typically possess distinctive wing patterns and genitalia used for identification.[2] More detailed morphological data may exist in museum collections or taxonomic revisions.
Distribution and Habitat
This moth is known only from **South Africa**, where it is considered endemic.[3] The Afromoths database confirms its locality within the country, although no specific province or ecological zone has been recorded in published sources.[3] Further surveys in the region may uncover more about its distribution.
Conservation
As of 2025, Limnaecia recidiva has **not been evaluated** by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and no conservation status has been assigned.[5] Due to limited data on its population and habitat, its conservation needs remain unclear. Microlepidoptera are often understudied in biodiversity monitoring programs.[6]
References
- ^ Savela, Markku (ed.). "Limnaecia". Lepidoptera and some other life forms. Retrieved 14 August 2020 – via FUNET.
- ^ a b c Meyrick, Edward (1911). "Descriptions of South African Micro-Lepidoptera". Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 2: 59–79.
- ^ a b c "Limnaecia recidiva (Meyrick, 1911)". Afromoths. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ "Limnaecia". Natural History Museum, London. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ Regier, Jerome C. (2013). "A large-scale, higher-level, molecular phylogenetic study of the insect order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies)". PLOS ONE. 8 (3): e58568. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...858568R. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058568. PMC 3595289. PMID 23554903.