Among these, it was previously assigned to subfamily Pexicopiinae, but later moved to the Chelariini tribe.

Species of Ethmiopsis are:[verification needed] At least some of these moths are characterized by a short scape and a triangular tuft of short hairs on the tip of the second labial palp segment.

The species formerly placed in Chelophoba are widely allopatric, with C. aganactes occurring in China and C. melaina only known from Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia.

The latter species was thought to actually be more closely related to some twirler moths usually placed in Hypatima.

Alternatively, it was proposed that C. melaina might belong in the genus Ethmiopsis, as it resembles E. epichthonia in some anatomical details; Clarke stated that perhaps Chelophoba might be synonymized with Ethmiopsis outright.