The Agonoxeninae are a subfamily of moths.
History of classification Formerly, the subfamily only contained four named species – all in the type genus Agonoxena – if (e.g. following Nielsen et al., 1996). Such a monotypic arrangement is fairly unusual in modern taxonomy without explicit need due to phylogenetic constraints.
Hodges (in Kristensen, 1999) retained the Blastodacnidae in the Agonoxenidae, giving a grouping of some 31 genera, and treating the whole as a subfamily Agonoxeninae of the grass-miner moths (Elachistidae). Collectively, the Agonoxenidae and "Blastodacnidae" are known as palm moths.
Genera Agonoxena Meyrick, 1921 Asymphorodes (formerly in Cosmopterigidae) Cladobrostis Diacholotis Gnamptonoma Meyrick, 1917 Helcanthica Ischnopsis Nanodacna Nicanthes Pammeces Zeller, 1863 (formerly in Cosmopterigidae) Pauroptila Porotica Proterocosma (formerly in Cosmopterigidae)
Former genera Blastodacna, Dystebenna, Haplochrois, Heinemannia and Spuleria are sometimes placed here, sometimes in the Elachistidae (or Blastodacnidae).
Other genera formerly placed here: Chrysoclista Colonophora Glaucacna Palaeomystella Panclintis Prochola Tocasta Busck, 1912 Zaratha
References Nielsen E.S., Edwards E.D. & Rangsi T.V. (eds.) (1996), Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia; Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 4; CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 1996 Kristensen, N.P. (ed.), 1999. Handbook of Zoology: Bd. 4. Arthropoda: Insecta. Teilbd. 35, Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies. Vol. 1. Evolution, systematics, and biogeography. W.de Gruyter, Berlin.