Noctuoidea

Josia gigantea, copyright Gail Hampshire.

Belongs within: Macroheterocera.
Contains: Euteliidae, Noctuidae, Erebidae, Nolinae, Chloephorinae, Pygaerinae, Thaumetopoeinae, Heterocampinae, Notodontinae.

The Noctuoidea are a diverse group of moths characterised by the presence of metathoracic tympanal organs, usually with a large counter-tympanal cavity with a projecting hood at the base of the abdomen. The tympanum is directed ventrally in members of the Notodontidae and Oenosandridae but obliquely posteriorly in other families (Nielsen & Common 1991). The classification of the Noctuoidea has historically been chaotic but six well-supported clades were regarded as warranting family status by Zahiri et al. (2011). The basal families Notodontidae and Oenosandridae retain a trifid fore wing venation (with M₂ arising about midway between M₁ and M₃) in contrast to the derived quadrifid venation (with M₂ closer to M₃ than M₁) of Euteliidae, Noctuidae, Erebidae and Nolidae. However, the Australian Oenosandridae are associated with the quadrifid families by the possession of a posteriorly facing tympanal membrane in contrast to the ventrally facing tympanal membrane of Notodontidae.

Characters (from Nielsen & Common 1991): Small to large; ocelli present or absent; chaetosemata absent; proboscis often strong, sometimes reduced or absent; maxillary palps very small, l–4-segmented or absent; fore wing without CuP; hind wing with frenulum, CuP absent, 1A+2A sometimes forming anal fork; metathorax with tympanal organs, rarely reduced or lost, tympanum directed ventrally or obliquely posteriorly; abdomen with basal counter-tympanal cavities, usually with prominent hood, with abdominal spiracle 1 either on anterior face (hood postspiracular) or at posteroventral angle (hood pre-spiracular). Eggs of upright type. Larva sometimes with dense secondary setae, crochets uniordinal, rarely biordinal, in a mesoseries.

<==Noctuoidea [Noctuae, Noctuites, Notodontoidea] GE05
    |  i. s.: Anthophila [Anthophilidae] WM66
    |           |--A. numida Lucas 1849 E12
    |           `--A. roseifascia WM66
    |         Strepsimanes Meyrick 1930 [Strepsimanidae, Strepsimaninae] FL05
    |         Kenguichardia ZK11
    |         Plagerepne ZK11
    |         Clytophylla ZK11
    |         Crebus odorus G20
    |--+--Oenosandridae ZK11
    |  |    |--Oenosandra Walker 1856 FL05
    |  |    |    `--O. boisduvalii NC91
    |  |    `--Discophlebia catocalina ZK11, NC91
    |  `--+--+--Euteliidae ZK11
    |     |  `--Noctuidae ZK11
    |     `--+--Erebidae ZK11
    |        `--Nolidae ZK11
    |             |  i. s.: Risoba Moore 1881 [Risobinae] FL05
    |             |         Collomena Möschler 1890 [Collomeninae] FL05
    |             |         Afrida Möschler 1886 [Afridinae] FL05
    |             |--Nolinae ZK11
    |             `--+--Chloephorinae ZK11
    |                `--+--Westermanniinae ZK11
    |                   |    |--Negeta sigmata ZK11
    |                   |    `--Westermannia Hübner 1821 FL05
    |                   `--+--Selepa molybdea ZK11
    |                      `--Eligma Hübner 1819 FL05 [Eligminae ZK11, Eligmini]
    |                           `--E. narcissus ZK11
    `--Notodontidae ZK11
         |  i. s.: Gallaba M03
         |         Schizura GE05
         |         Scea auriflamma GE05
         |         Lyces striata GE05
         |         Gangarides Moore 1866 [incl. Thermojana Yang in Yang & Chen 1995] NO08
         |           `--‘*Thermojana’ sinica Yang in Yang & Chen 1995 NO08
         |         Lephopteryx camelina P01
         |         Destolmia NC91
         |         Sorama NC91
         |         Antimima cryptica N91
         |         Cerurites wagneri RJ93
         |         Symmerista S96
         |           |--S. albifrons S96
         |           `--S. fulgens Druce 1901 D01a
         |         Edema audax Druce 1901 D01a
         |         Rosema Walker 1855 [Rosemini] FL05
         |           `--R. dolorosa Druce 1901 D01a
         |         Ichthyura rubida Druce 1901 D01a
         |         Blera peruda Druce 1901 D01a
         |         Cleapa psecas Druce 1901 D01a
         |         Rifargia nubila Druce 1901 D01b
         |         Macrurocampa marthesia S96
         |         Lophopteryx eumeta Druce 1900 D00
         |         Somera viridifusca D00
         |         Platychasma Butler 1881 [Platychasmatinae] FL05
         |         Hemiceras Guenée 1852 [Hemiceratinae] FL05
         |         Ceira Walker 1865 [Ceirinae] FL05
         |--+--Pygaerinae ZK11
         |  `--Dudusinae ZK11
         |       |  i. s.: Crinodes ZK11
         |       |           |--C. besckei ZK11
         |       |           `--C. minuta Druce 1900 D00
         |       |--Dudusini FL05
         |       |    |--Dudusa Walker 1865 FL05
         |       |    |    `--D. sphingiformis P01
         |       |    `--Tarsolepis Butler 1872 [Tarsolepidinae] FL05
         |       `--Scrancia Holland 1893 [Scranciini] FL05
         `--+--+--Thaumetopoeinae ZK11
            |  `--Phalera Hübner 1819 FL05 [Phaleridae, Phalerinae ZK11]
            |       |--P. bucephala (Linnaeus 1758) L-SSY04
            |       `--P. bucephaloides Ochsenheimer 1808 B08
            `--+--Heterocampinae ZK11
               `--+--Notodontinae ZK11
                  `--+--Nystaleinae ZK11
                     |    |--Nystalea Guenée 1852 FL05
                     |    |    `--N. striata ZK11
                     |    `--Notoplusia minuta KP19
                     `--Dioptinae [Dioptidae] ZK11
                          |--Scotura leucophleps ZK11
                          |--Dioptis Hübner 1818 FL05
                          |--Phryganidia RD77
                          |--Polypoetes nox Druce 1900 D00
                          `--Josia Hübner 1819 [Josiidae] FL05
                               |--J. gigantea GE05
                               `--J. tessmani GE05

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B08] Bálint, Z. 2008. Lepidoptera collections of historical importance in the Hungarian Natural History Museum. Annales Historico-Naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici 100: 17–35.

[D00] Druce, H. 1900. Descriptions of some new genera and species of Heterocera from tropical South America. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 7, 5: 507–527.

[D01a] Druce, H. 1901a. Descriptions of some new species of Heterocera. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 7, 7: 74–79.

[D01b] Druce, H. 1901b. Descriptions of some new species of Lepidoptera from east Africa and tropical America. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 7, 7: 432–444.

[E12] Evenhuis, N. L. 2012. Publication and dating of the Exploration Scientifique de l’Algérie: Histoire Naturelle des Animaux Articulés (1846–1849) by Pierre Hippolyte Lucas. Zootaxa 3448: 1–61.

[FL05] Fibiger, M., & J. D. Lafontaine. 2005. A review of the higher classification of the Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera) with special reference to the Holarctic fauna. Esperiana 11: 7–92.

[G20] Goldfuss, G. A. 1820. Handbuch der Naturgeschichte vol. 3. Handbuch der Zoologie pt 1. Johann Leonhard Schrag: Nürnberg.

[GE05] Grimaldi, D., & M. S. Engel. 2005. Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press: New York.

[KP19] Kawahara, A. Y., D. Plotkin, M. Espeland, K. Meusemann, E. F. A. Toussaint, A. Donath, F. Gimnich, P. B. Frandsen, A. Zwick, M. dos Reis, J. R. Barber, R. S. Peters, S. Liu, X. Zhou, C. Mayer, L. Podsiadlowski, C. Storer, J. E. Yack, B. Misof & J. W. Breinholt. 2019. Phylogenomics reveals the evolutionary timing and pattern of butterflies and moths. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 116 (45): 22657–22663.

[L-SSY04] López-Sebastián, E., J. Selfa & J. Ylla. 2004. Primeros datos del parasitismo de Ooencyrtus pityocampae (Mercet, 1921) sobre Graellsia isabelae (Graells, 1849) en condiciones de laboratorio. Graellsia 60 (1): 121–123.

[M03] McQuillan, P. B. 2003. The giant Tasmanian ‘pandani’ moth Proditrix nielseni, sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea: Plutellidae s. l.) Invertebrate Systematics 17: 59–66.

[NO08] Nässig, W. A., & R. G. Oberprieler. 2008b. Errata et addenda. Senckenbergiana Biologica 88 (2): 124.

[NC91] Nielsen, E. S., & I. F. B. Common. 1991. Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 817–915. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[N91] Norris, K. R. 1991. General biology. In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 1 pp. 68–108. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[P01] Pável, J. 1901. Lepkék [Lepidopteren]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 171–177. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.

[RD77] Richards, O. W., & R. G. Davies. 1977. Imms' General Textbook of Entomology 10^th ed. vol. 2. Classification and Biology. Chapman and Hall: London.

[RJ93] Ross, A. J., & E. A. Jarzembowski. 1993. Arthropoda (Hexapoda; Insecta). In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Fossil Record 2 pp. 363–426. Chapman & Hall: London.

[S96] Smith, D. R. 1996. Trigonalyidae (Hymenoptera) in the eastern United States: seasonal flight activity, distribution, hosts. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 98 (1): 109–118.

[WM66] Wallace, A. R., & F. Moore. 1866. List of lepidopterous insects collected at Takow, Formosa, by Mr. R. Swinhoe. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 355–365.

[ZK11] Zahiri, R., I. J. Kitching, J. D. Lafontaine, M. Mutanen, L. Kaila, J. D. Holloway & N. Wahlberg. 2011. A new molecular phylogeny offers hope for a stable family level classification of the Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera). Zoologica Scripta 40 (2): 158–173.

Last updated: 24 April 2022.

Agaristinae

Australian grapevine moth Phalaenoides glycinae, copyright Donald Hobern.

Belongs within: Noctuidae.

The Agaristinae are a group of diurnal, usually brightly coloured moths.

Characters (from Nielsen & Common 1991): Antennae usually thickened apically; tympanal hood small or absent, counter-tympanum large; larvae aposematically coloured, with posterior hump; pupa well sclerotised, rugose, in cocoon.

Agaristinae [Agaristidae, Phalaenoididae]
    |--Periopta ardescens ZS10
    |--Ipanica cornigera MC13
    |--Hecatesia fenestrata NC91
    |--Apina callisto NC91
    |--Idalima tetrapleura C70
    |--Cruria donovani C70
    |--Eutrichopidia latina C70
    |--Periscepta polysticta C70
    |--Xanthospilopteryx melanosoma Druce 1901 D01
    |--Eusemia adulatrix RD77
    |--Aegocera RD77
    |    |--A. tripartita RD77
    |    `--A. venutia G20 [=Phalaena venulia L02, Zygaena (Aegocera) venutia G20]
    |--Agarista NC91
    |    |--A. agricola NC91
    |    `--A. glycine B88
    `--Phalaenoides NC91
         |--P. glycinae NC91
         `--P. tristifica P27

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B88] Bouček, Z. 1988. Australasian Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera): A biosystematic revision of genera of fourteen families, with a reclassification of species. CAB International: Wallingford (UK).

[C70] Common, I. F. B. 1970. Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers pp. 765–866. Melbourne University Press.

[D01] Druce, H. 1901. Descriptions of some new species of Lepidoptera from east Africa and tropical America. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 7, 7: 432–444.

[G20] Goldfuss, G. A. 1820. Handbuch der Naturgeschichte vol. 3. Handbuch der Zoologie pt 1. Johann Leonhard Schrag: Nürnberg.

[L02] Latreille, P. A. 1802. Histoire Naturelle, générale et particulière des crustacés et des insectes vol. 3. Familles naturelles des genres. F. Dufart: Paris.

[MC13] Majer, J. D., S. K. Callan, K. Edwards, N. R. Gunawardene & C. K. Taylor. 2013. Baseline survey of the terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Barrow Island. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 83: 13–112.

[NC91] Nielsen, E. S., & I. F. B. Common. 1991. Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 817–915. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

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

[RD77] Richards, O. W., & R. G. Davies. 1977. Imms' General Textbook of Entomology 10^th ed. vol. 2. Classification and Biology. Chapman and Hall: London.

[ZS10] Zborowski, P., & R. Storey. 2010. A Field Guide to Insects in Australia 3^rd ed. Reed New Holland: Sydney.

Acontiinae

Pale shoulder Acontia lucida, copyright Hectonichus.

Belongs within: Noctuidae.

The Acontiinae are a group of relatively small noctuid moths that may resemble bird droppings when perched.

Acontiinae [Acontidae]
    `--Acontiini ZK11
         |--Acontia WM66
         |    |--A. clerana MC13
         |    |--A. crocata MC13
         |    |--A. lucida ZK11
         |    |--A. maculosa WM66
         |    `--A. undulosa [=Philenora undulosa] M86
         `--Emmelia trabealis (Scopoli 1763) ZK11, JP05

Acontiinae incertae sedis:
  Enispa plutonis NC91
  Amyna natalis NC91
  Cophanta Walker 1864 [incl. Toxophleps Hampson 1893] S01
    |--C. funestalis Walker 1864 S01
    |--C. optiva (Swinh. 1890) [=Tarache optiva, Toxophleps optiva] S01
    `--C. trilatalis [=Toxophleps trilatalis] S01
  Xanthoptera S01
    |--X. nicea Swinhoe 1901 S01
    `--X. rectivitta (Moore 1881) [=Orthosia rectivitta, Polydesma rectivitta] S01
  Metachrostis coenia Swinhoe 1901 S01
  Cerynea S01
    |--C. morma Swinhoe 1901 S01
    `--C. semilux S01
  Oruza S01
    |--O. astona Swinhoe 1901 S01
    `--O. hydrocampata S01

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[JP05] Jungmann, E., & U. Poller. 2005. Neunachweise und Wiederfunde für die Schmetterlingsfauna (Insecta; Lepidoptera) des Altenburger Landes. Mauritiana 19 (2): 317–326.

[MC13] Majer, J. D., S. K. Callan, K. Edwards, N. R. Gunawardene & C. K. Taylor. 2013. Baseline survey of the terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Barrow Island. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 83: 13–112.

[M86] Meyrick, E. 1886. Revision of Australian Lepidoptera. I. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, series 2, 1 (3): 687–802.

[NC91] Nielsen, E. S., & I. F. B. Common. 1991. Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 817–915. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[S01] Swinhoe, C. 1901. New genera and species of eastern and Australian moths. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 7, 7: 463–473.

[WM66] Wallace, A. R., & F. Moore. 1866. List of lepidopterous insects collected at Takow, Formosa, by Mr. R. Swinhoe. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 355–365.

[ZK11] Zahiri, R., I. J. Kitching, J. D. Lafontaine, M. Mutanen, L. Kaila, J. D. Holloway & N. Wahlberg. 2011. A new molecular phylogeny offers hope for a stable family level classification of the Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera). Zoologica Scripta 40 (2): 158–173.

Plusiinae

Gold spot Plusia festucae, copyright Ilia Ustyantsev.

Belongs within: Noctuidae.

The Plusiinae are a cosmopolitan group of moths commonly bearing a pale, often metallic, marking at the centre of the fore wings.

Characters (from Nielsen & Common 1991): Dorsal thoracic crest and dorsal abdominal tufts present, eyes lashed, fore wing often with silver markings (‘silver Ys’), metepimeron with distinct external bulge, double tympanal hood; larva without ventral prolegs on segments 3 and 4, crochets in biordinal mesoseries, without secondary setae; pupa in flimsy cocoon.

Plusiinae [Plusidae] NC91
    |  i. s.: Thysanoplusia orichalcea NC91
    |         Anadevidia peponis NC91
    |         Chrysodeixis NC91
    |           |--C. argentifera NC91
    |           `--C. eriosoma G84
    |         Euchalcia ZK11
    |--Abrostola [Abrostolini] ZK11
    |    |--A. asclepiadis F92
    |    |--A. tripartita F92
    |    |--A. triplasia F92
    |    `--A. urentis T69
    `--Plusiini ZK11
         |--Autographa ZK11
         |    |--A. brassicae B37
         |    |--A. californica KP99
         |    |--A. gamma ZK11
         |    |--A. iota F92
         |    `--A. precationis T69
         `--Plusia P01
              |--P. aereoides T69
              |--P. argentifera C70
              |--P. chalcites C70
              |--P. chryson F92
              |--P. deaurata F92
              |--P. eriosoma P01
              |--P. festucae JP05
              |--P. furcifera WM66
              |--P. gamma F92
              |--P. gutta P01
              |--P. interrogationis F92
              |--P. jota F92
              |--P. putnami JP05
              |    |--P. p. putnami JP05
              |    `--P. p. gracilis Lempke 1966 JP05
              `--P. verticillata WM66

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B37] Balduf, W. V. 1937. Bionomic notes on the common bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis Haw., (Lepid., Psychidae) and its insect enemies (Hym., Lepid.). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 39 (7): 169–184.

[C70] Common, I. F. B. 1970. Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers pp. 765–866. Melbourne University Press.

[F92] Fan Z. 1992. Key to the Common Flies of China 2^nd ed. Science Press: Beijing.

[G84] Gauld, I. D. 1984. An Introduction to the Ichneumonidae of Australia. British Museum (Natural History).

[JP05] Jungmann, E., & U. Poller. 2005. Neunachweise und Wiederfunde für die Schmetterlingsfauna (Insecta; Lepidoptera) des Altenburger Landes. Mauritiana 19 (2): 317–326.

[KP99] Kuzio, J., M. N. Pearson, S. H. Harwood, C. J. Funk, J. T. Evans, J. M. Slavicek & G. F. Rohrmann. 1999. Sequence and analysis of the genome of a baculovirus pathogenic for Lymantria dispar. Virology 253: 17–34.

[NC91] Nielsen, E. S., & I. F. B. Common. 1991. Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 817–915. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[P01] Pável, J. 1901. Lepkék [Lepidopteren]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 171–177. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.

[T69] Treat, A. E. 1969. The genus Dicrocheles: three new species and a reappraisal. Acarologia 11 (4): 630–656.

[WM66] Wallace, A. R., & F. Moore. 1866. List of lepidopterous insects collected at Takow, Formosa, by Mr. R. Swinhoe. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 355–365.

[ZK11] Zahiri, R., I. J. Kitching, J. D. Lafontaine, M. Mutanen, L. Kaila, J. D. Holloway & N. Wahlberg. 2011. A new molecular phylogeny offers hope for a stable family level classification of the Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera). Zoologica Scripta 40 (2): 158–173.

Amphipyrinae

Copper underwing Amphipyra pyramidea, copyright Soebe.

Belongs within: Noctuidae.

The Amphipyrinae are a group of stout moths with bare and unlashed eyes and unspined tibiae. Larvae often have a terminal hump and lack secondary setae (Nielsen & Common 1991).

Amphipyrinae NC91
    |--Athetis tenuis MC13
    |--Eremechroa MC13
    |--Proteuxoa interferens MC13
    |--Cosmodes elegans NC91
    |--Bathytricha truncata NC91, B88 [incl. Nonagria exitiosa B88]
    |--Amphipyra [Amphipyrini] WL09
    |    |--A. berbera Rungs 1949 JP05
    |    |--A. perflua ZK11
    |    |--A. pyramidea KP19
    |    |--A. pyramidoides WL09
    |    `--A. tragoponis F92
    `--Brachionycha [Psaphidini] ZK11
         `--B. nubeculosa ZK11

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B88] Bouček, Z. 1988. Australasian Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera): A biosystematic revision of genera of fourteen families, with a reclassification of species. CAB International: Wallingford (UK).

[F92] Fan Z. 1992. Key to the Common Flies of China 2^nd ed. Science Press: Beijing.

[JP05] Jungmann, E., & U. Poller. 2005. Neunachweise und Wiederfunde für die Schmetterlingsfauna (Insecta; Lepidoptera) des Altenburger Landes. Mauritiana 19 (2): 317–326.

[KP19] Kawahara, A. Y., D. Plotkin, M. Espeland, K. Meusemann, E. F. A. Toussaint, A. Donath, F. Gimnich, P. B. Frandsen, A. Zwick, M. dos Reis, J. R. Barber, R. S. Peters, S. Liu, X. Zhou, C. Mayer, L. Podsiadlowski, C. Storer, J. E. Yack, B. Misof & J. W. Breinholt. 2019. Phylogenomics reveals the evolutionary timing and pattern of butterflies and moths. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 116 (45): 22657–22663.

[MC13] Majer, J. D., S. K. Callan, K. Edwards, N. R. Gunawardene & C. K. Taylor. 2013. Baseline survey of the terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Barrow Island. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 83: 13–112.

[NC91] Nielsen, E. S., & I. F. B. Common. 1991. Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 817–915. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[WL09] Walter, D. E., E. E. Lindquist, I. M. Smith, D. R. Cook & G. W. Krantz. 2009. Order Trombidiformes. In: Krantz, G. W., & D. E. Walter (eds) A Manual of Acarology 3^rd ed. pp. 233–420. Texas Tech University Press.

[ZK11] Zahiri, R., I. J. Kitching, J. D. Lafontaine, M. Mutanen, L. Kaila, J. D. Holloway & N. Wahlberg. 2011. A new molecular phylogeny offers hope for a stable family level classification of the Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera). Zoologica Scripta 40 (2): 158–173.

Chloephorinae

Egyptian bollworm Earias insulana, copyright Gailhampshire.

Belongs within: Noctuoidea.

The Chloephorinae are a group of moths found predominantly in the Old World tropics.

Characters (from Nielsen & Common 1991): Relatively long upturned labial palps; smooth fore wing with bar-shaped retinaculum in male or retinaculum absent; larva with four pairs of ventral prolegs and only primary setae; pupa without cremaster, in boat-shaped cocoon with vertical exit slit.

<==Chloephorinae [Ariolicini, Sarothripidae] NC91
    |--+--Blenina [Bleninae] ZK11
    |  |    |--B. effusa Swinhoe 1901 S01
    |  |    `--B. octo ZK11
    |  `--Sarrothripini [Sarrothripinae] ZK11
    |       |--Nanaguna breviuscula NC91
    |       |--Calathusa NC91
    |       |--Sarothripa S01
    |       |    |--S. chlorana S01
    |       |    |--S. morena Swinhoe 1901 S01
    |       |    `--S. undulata F92
    |       |--Nycteola ZK11
    |       |    |--N. degenerana ZK11
    |       |    `--N. revayana (Scopoli 1772) JP05
    |       `--Giaura robusta ZK11
    `--+--+--Earias [Eariadinae] ZK11
       |  |    |--E. chlorodes MC13
       |  |    |--E. clorana ZK11
       |  |    |--E. cupreoviridis VHK02
       |  |    |--E. fabia VHK02
       |  |    |--E. huegeli B88
       |  |    |--E. insulana VHK02
       |  |    |--E. parallela B88
       |  |    |--E. perhuegeli NC91
       |  |    `--E. vittella NC91
       |  `--Paracrama dulcissima ZK11
       `--+--Pseudoips [Chloephorini] ZK11
          |    |--P. fagana DS73
          |    |    |--P. f. fagana DS73
          |    |    `--P. f. britannica DS73
          |    |--P. hongrica DS73
          |    `--P. prasinana ZK11
          `--Ariolica argentea ZK11

Chloephorinae incertae sedis:
  Armactica columbina MC13
  Aiteta iridias NC91
  Gadirtha S01
    |--G. cristata Druce 1901 D01
    |--G. sara Swinhoe 1901 S01
    `--G. similis Druce 1901 D01
  Clettharra S01
    |--C. albonotata S01
    |--C. floccifera Hmpsn. 1894 S01
    |--C. iphida Swinhoe 1901 S01
    `--C. valida S01

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B88] Bouček, Z. 1988. Australasian Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera): A biosystematic revision of genera of fourteen families, with a reclassification of species. CAB International: Wallingford (UK).

[DS73] Dickens, M., & E. Storey. 1973. The World of Moths. Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.: New York.

[D01] Druce, H. 1901. Descriptions of some new species of Heterocera. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 7, 7: 74–79.

[F92] Fan Z. 1992. Key to the Common Flies of China 2^nd ed. Science Press: Beijing.

[JP05] Jungmann, E., & U. Poller. 2005. Neunachweise und Wiederfunde für die Schmetterlingsfauna (Insecta; Lepidoptera) des Altenburger Landes. Mauritiana 19 (2): 317–326.

[MC13] Majer, J. D., S. K. Callan, K. Edwards, N. R. Gunawardene & C. K. Taylor. 2013. Baseline survey of the terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Barrow Island. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 83: 13–112.

[NC91] Nielsen, E. S., & I. F. B. Common. 1991. Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 817–915. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[S01] Swinhoe, C. 1901. New genera and species of eastern and Australian moths (continued). Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 7, 7: 489–501.

[VHK02] Verma, M., M. Hayat & S. I. Kazmi. 2002. The species of Elasmus from India (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae). Oriental Insects 36: 245–306.

[ZK11] Zahiri, R., I. J. Kitching, J. D. Lafontaine, M. Mutanen, L. Kaila, J. D. Holloway & N. Wahlberg. 2011. A new molecular phylogeny offers hope for a stable family level classification of the Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera). Zoologica Scripta 40 (2): 158–173.

Bittacidae

Harpobittacus septentrionis, copyright Summerdrought.

Belongs within: Mecopteroidea.

The Bittacidae, hanging-flies, are a group of large, predatory scorpionflies that commonly hunt by hanging from vegetation with their fore legs and grasping prey with the hind legs (Byers 1991).

Characters (from Byers 1991): Single-clawed, raptorial tarsi. Wings elongate, slender basally. Compound eyes large, protruding; ocelli large, on a median prominence; rostrum slender. Basistyles of male bulbous, broadly fused ventrally; dististyles ordinarily small, inconspicuous; T9 divided into two lobes, clasper-like in appearance but not in function. Larvae with two dorsal rows of branched, fleshy processes.

<==Bittacidae
    |--Anomalobittacus N02
    |--Apterobittacus N02
    |--Archebittacus exilis N02
    |--Orobittacus N02
    |--Symbittacus L94
    |--Kalobittacus L94
    |--Nannobittacus L94
    |--Hylobittacus L94
    |--Tytthobittacus Smithers 1973 R74
    |--Austrobittacus B91
    |--Edriobittacus B91
    |--Probittacus avitus RJ93
    |--Bittacus Latreille 1802 L02
    |    |--*B. tipularius [=Panorpa tipularia] L02
    |    |--B. apterus R13
    |    |--B. eremus L94
    |    |--B. mastrillii CM07
    |    |--B. pilicornis KP19
    |    `--B. strigosus HR11
    `--Harpobittacus Gerstaecker 1885 L94
         |--+--+--H. rubricatus Riek 1954 [=H. tillyardi rubricatus] L94
         |  |  `--H. tillyardi Esben-Petersen 1915 [incl. H. nigratus Navás 1932] L94
         |  `--+--*H. australis (Klug 1838) (see below for synonymy) L94
         |     `--+--H. albatus Riek 1954 [=H. tillyardi alatus; incl. H. limnaeus Smithers 1973] L94
         |        `--H. christine Lambkin 1994 L94
         `--+--+--H. quasisimilis Lambkin 1994 L94
            |  `--H. similis Esben-Petersen 1935 L94
            `--+--+--H. nigriceps (Selys-Longchamps 1868) [=Bittacus nigriceps] L94
               |  `--H. phaeoscius Riek 1954 L94
               `--+--H. scheibeli Esben-Petersen 1935 [incl. H. brewerae Smithers 1973] L94
                  `--H. septentrionis Lambkin 1994 L94

*Harpobittacus australis (Klug 1838) [=Bittacus australis; incl. B. corethrarius Rambur 1842, B. intermedius Selys-Longchamps 1868, Harpobittacus intermedius, H. australis rubripes Riek 1954] L94

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B91] Byers, G. W. 1991. Mecoptera (scorpion-flies, hanging-flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 696–704. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[CM07] Cokendolpher, J. C., & P. G. Mitov. 2007. Natural enemies. In: Pinto-da-Rocha, R., G. Machado & G. Giribet (eds) Harvestmen: The Biology of Opiliones pp. 339–373. Harvard University Press: Cambridge (Massachusetts).

[HR11] Heraty, J., F. Ronquist, J. M. Carpenter, D. Hawks, S. Schulmeister, A. P. Dowling, D. Murray, J. Munro, W. C. Wheeler, N. Schiff & M. Sharkey. 2011. Evolution of the hymenopteran megaradiation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 60: 73–88.

[KP19] Kawahara, A. Y., D. Plotkin, M. Espeland, K. Meusemann, E. F. A. Toussaint, A. Donath, F. Gimnich, P. B. Frandsen, A. Zwick, M. dos Reis, J. R. Barber, R. S. Peters, S. Liu, X. Zhou, C. Mayer, L. Podsiadlowski, C. Storer, J. E. Yack, B. Misof & J. W. Breinholt. 2019. Phylogenomics reveals the evolutionary timing and pattern of butterflies and moths. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 116 (45): 22657–22663.

[L94] Lambkin, K. J. 1994. Revision of the Australian scorpion-fly genus Harpobittacus (Mecoptera: Bittacidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 8: 767–808.

[L02] Latreille, P. A. 1802. Histoire Naturelle, générale et particulière des crustacés et des insectes vol. 3. Familles naturelles des genres. F. Dufart: Paris.

[N02] Novokshonov, V. G. 2002. Order Panorpida Latreille, 1802. The scorpionflies (=Mecaptera Packard, 1886, =Mecoptera Comstock et Comstock, 1895, +Neomecoptera Hinton, 1958, +Paratrichoptera Tillyard, 1919, +Paramecoptera Tillyard, 1919). In: Rasnitsyn, A. P., & D. L. J. Quicke (eds) History of Insects pp. 194–199. Kluwer Academic Publishers: Dordrecht.

[R13] Reuter, O. M. 1913. Lebensgewohnheiten und Instinkte der Insekten bis zum Erwachen der sozialen Instinkte. R. Friedländer & Sohn: Berlin.

[R74] Riek, E. F. 1974. Mecoptera (scorpion-flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers. Supplement 1974 pp. 90. Melbourne University Press.

[RJ93] Ross, A. J., & E. A. Jarzembowski. 1993. Arthropoda (Hexapoda; Insecta). In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Fossil Record 2 pp. 363–426. Chapman & Hall: London.