Hydriomenidae

Xanthorhoe semifissata, photographed by dhobern.

Belongs within: Geometroidea.

The Hydriomenidae is a widespread family of moths, most abundant in temperate regions.

Characters (from Meyrick 1895): Tongue developed. Forewings with vein 10 rising separate, anastomosing with 11 and 9 (forming double areole), or rising out of 11 and anastomosing with 9 (forming simple areole). Hind wings with vein 5 fully developed, parallel to 4, 6 and 7 almost always stalked or connate, 8 anastomosing with upper margin of cell from near base to beyond middle, or sometimes approximated only and connected by bar or shortly anastomosing beyond middle. Imago with body slender, forewings usually broad. Markings of the forewings more or less obcured by the development of a number of usually waved transverse striae, alternately dark and light, which again tend by coalescence to form six similar dark fasciae, of these the first often forms a basal patch, the second precedes the first line (which is nearer the base than usual), the third and fourth form the median band, limited by the median and second lines, and the fifth and sixth border the pale subterminal line. Markings of the hind wings sometimes nearly as in the forewings but more often partially obsolete; those species which have the hindwings distinctly marked always expose them in repose. Ovum broad-oval, rather flattened, with usually angular reticulations. Larva elongate, slender, with few hairs, without prolegs on segments 7-9; often imitating live or dead twigs or shoots. Pupa usually subterranean.

<==Hydriomenidae
    |--Hydriomena P27
    |    |--H. deltoidata P27
    |    |--H. similata L27
    |    `--H. subrectaria P27
    |--Tatosoma T27
    |    |--T. agrionata T27
    |    |--T. timora T27
    |    |--T. tipulata T27
    |    `--T. topea T27
    `--Xanthorhoe T27
         |--X. aegrota L27
         |--X. beata T27
         |--X. benedicta L27
         |--X. obarata L27
         |--X. orophylla P27
         |--X. perfectata T27
         |--X. rosearia P27
         |--X. semifissata L27
         |--X. semisignata L27
         `--X. umbrosa T27

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[L27] Lindsay, S. 1927. A list of the Lepidoptera of Deans Bush, Riccarton, Canterbury. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 57: 693-696.

Meyrick, E. 1895. A Handbook of British Lepidoptera. Macmillan and Co.: London.

[P27] Philpott, A. 1927. The maxillae in the Lepidoptera. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 57: 721-746.

[T27] Thomson, G. M. 1927. The pollination of New Zealand flowers by birds and insects. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 57: 106-125.