Genus Atteva

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Print References · Works Cited

Ailanthus Webworm Moth - Atteva punctella - Atteva punctella

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Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

No Taxon (Moths)

Superfamily Yponomeutoidea

Family Yponomeutidae (Ermine Moths)

Subfamily Attevinae (Tropical Ermine Moths)

Genus Atteva

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Atteva Walker, 1854

Formerly placed in a separate family (Attevidae) by some authors; recent consensus of three taxonomists places the genus in the family Yponomeutidae (Butterflies & Moths of the World)

Explanation of Names

Origin unclear. Speculation: perhaps from Modern English (though obsolete, and dialectical) atter, that from Old English aettor poison, pus (1) (Wiktionary--atter), plus Greek suffix eu (or ev) good, well (2), with an adjectival ending -a. (English atter poison is not related to adder, the snake, incidentally.) This seems semi-plausible, given that the author of the genus was English.

Numbers

1 species in North America (3), Atteva punctella

Print References

Borror, entry for ev (2)

The Century Dictionary--entry for atter (and incidentally, adder) (1)

Works Cited

1.	The Century Dictionary: an encyclopedic lexicon of the English language

2.	Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms By Donald J. Borror

3.	Nearctica: Nomina Insecta Nearctica

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Robin McLeod
Last updated 2 October, 2009 - 9:22pm

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