Nowadays, Agathiphaga is a widely discussed topic in society. For years, Agathiphaga has been the subject of interest and debate in different areas, generating conflicting opinions and positions. Throughout history, Agathiphaga has had a significant impact on people's lives, influencing the way they think, act and relate to their environment. In this article, we will explore the different facets of Agathiphaga, analyzing its importance and the implications it has on our daily lives. Knowing more about Agathiphaga will allow us to better understand its scope and how we can positively address it in our daily lives.
The genus Agathiphaga (family Agathiphagidae) belongs to one of the most 'basal' clades of Lepidoptera, lacking a functional proboscis[2] – an ancestral trait shared with Micropterigoidea (representing the earliest known divergence among living Lepidoptera) and the genus Heterobathmia (family Heterobathmiidae). Agathiphagidae form the sister group to a clade encompassing Heterobathmiidae and Glossata (the proboscis-bearing butterflies and moths). The caterpillars feed exclusively on the sapwood of kauri trees (Agathis spp.) The larvae have been reported to be able to survive for 12 years in diapause,[3] durability possibly a prerequisite to its possible dispersion around the Pacific islands in the seeds of Agathis.
^N. P. Kristensen (1999). "The non-Glossatan moths". In N. P. Kristensen (ed.). Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbook of Zoology. A Natural History of the phyla of the Animal Kingdom. Volume IV Arthropoda: Insecta Part 35. Walter de Gruyter. pp. 41–49.
^M. S. Upton (1997). "A twelve-year larval diapause in the Queensland kauri moth, Agathiphaga queenslandiae Dumbleton (Lepidoptera: Agathiphagidae)". The Entomologist. 116: 142–143.