Though small in absolute diversity of
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial ...
, the Hemitheini are nonetheless the largest
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confl ...
s of
geometer moth
The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family (biology), family Geometridae of the insect order (biology), order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek ''geo'' γεω (derivative for ...
s in the
subfamily Geometrinae
Geometrinae is the nominate subfamily of the geometer moth family (Geometridae). It is strongly split, containing a considerable number of tribes of which most are presently very small or monotypic. These small moths are often a light bluish gre ...
. Like most Geometrinae, they are small greenish "emerald moths". The tribe was first described by
Charles Théophile Bruand d'Uzelle in 1846.
In some treatments the Comostolini, Hemistolini, Jodini, Microloxiini, Thalassodini and Thalerini are split off as independent tribes. But they are probably
paraphyletic
In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...
among themselves and with respect to the remaining Hemitheini. Consequently, until more information is available they are included in the Hemitheini here.
In other systems, the Geometrinae are defined in a more inclusive way; the Hemitheini are then ranked as a
subtribe
Subtribe is a taxonomic category ranking which is below the rank of tribe and above genus. The standard suffix for a subtribe is -ina (in animals) or -inae (in plants). The early use of this word is from 19th century. An example of subtribe i ...
Hemitheiti.
Selected genera and species
A few Geometrinae genera are not yet assigned to a tribe with certainty; some of them might belong here too.
[See references in Savela (2007)]
* ''
Albinospila'' - formerly in ''
Prasinocyma''
* ''
Anoplosceles''
* ''
Aoshakuna''
Matsumura, 1925 - often included in ''Chlorissa''; includes ''Nipponogelasma''
* ''
Aporandria''
* ''
Berta''
* ''
Chlorissa''
Stephens, 1831
* ''
Chloristola''
* ''
Chlorochlamys''
Hulst, 1896
* ''
Chloropteryx''
Hulst, 1896
* ''
Culpinia''
Prout, 1912
* ''
Comostola''
Meyrick, 1888
* ''
Dyschloropsis''
Warren, 1895
* ''
Episothalma''
* ''
Eretmopus''
* ''
Gelasma''
Warren, 1893
* ''
Hemistola''
Warren, 1893
* ''
Hemithea''
Duponchel, 1829
**
Common emerald
The common emerald (''Hemithea aestivaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species is found throughout the Nearctic and Palearctic regions and the Near East. It is mostly commonly found in the southern half of the British Isles. It w ...
, ''Hemithea aestivaria''
* ''
Hethemia''
Ferguson, 1969
* ''
Idiochlora''
Warren, 1896
* ''
Jodis''
Hübner, 1823
** ''
Jodis putata''
* ''
Maxates''
* ''
Mesothea''
Warren, 1901
* ''
Microloxia''
Warren, 1893
* ''
Mujiaoshakua''
Inoue, 1955
* ''
Oenospila''
* ''
Olerospila''
* ''
Orothalassodes''
* ''
Pamphlebia''
* ''
Pelagodes''
* ''
Thalassodes''
* ''
Thalera''
Hübner, 1823
* ''
Xerochlora''
Ferguson, 1969
Footnotes
References
* (2007): Taxonomic changes in the emerald moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Geometrinae) of East Asia, with notes on the systematics and phylogeny of Hemitheini. ''
Zootaxa
''Zootaxa'' is a peer-reviewed scientific mega journal for animal taxonomists. It is published by Magnolia Press
''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view ...
'' 1584: 55–68
PDF abstract and first page text* (2008)
Retrieved 22 July 2008.
* (1996): The Moths of Borneo: Family Geometridae, Subfamilies Oenochrominae, Desmobathrinae and Geometrinae. ''Malayan Nature Journal'' 49(3/4): 147-326.
* (2007)
Version of 2 February 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
Geometrinae
{{Geometrinae-stub