TRIASSIC moth??: genus Eoses

[Alexey V. Kuprijanov]

>        Would be interested to hear from any entomologists who might have
>   an opinion on whether the genus Eoses (type of Family Eosetidae) of the
>   Triassic is actually a primitive lepidopteran (moth) as claimed in the
>   original description.

The answer is NO. Eoses is neither a lepidopteran nor even an
amphiesmenopteran. It is more likely that it belongs to the Mecoptera.
The basal parts of the wings which are essential for a precise identification
have been poorly preserved but a reconstruction provided by Tindale shows
no clear synapomorphies with amphiesmenoptera (i.e. Trichoptera+Lepidoptera).

Yours sincerely,
Alexey
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Alexey V. Kuprijanov
Institute for the History of Science and Technology
Universitetskaya emb. 5, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia
E-mail: Q at TINEA.USR.PU.RU