|
Macromoth
Macrolepidoptera is a group within the insect order Lepidoptera. Traditionally used for the larger butterflies and moths as opposed to the "microlepidoptera", this group is artificial. However, it seems that by moving some taxa about, a monophyletic macrolepidoptera can be easily achieved. The two superfamilies Geometroidea and Noctuoidea account for roughly one-quarter of all known Lepidoptera. Taxonomy In the reformed macrolepidoptera, the following superfamilies are included: * Mimallonoidea – sack bearers * Lasiocampoidea – lappet moths * Bombycoidea – bombycoid moths * Noctuoidea – owlet moths * Drepanoidea – drepanids * Geometroidea – inchworms * Calliduloidea – Old World butterfly-moths * Papilionoidea – butterflies The last two or three superfamilies comprised the Rhopalocera, or butterflies. More recent taxonomic treatments usually include all butterflies in an expanded Papilionoidea. Subsequent molecular studies have failed to recover the macrolep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grey Dagger
The grey dagger (''Acronicta psi'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. Distribution This species can be found from Europe and North Africa to northern Iran, central Asia, southern and central Siberia and Mongolia. In the Levant it is found in Lebanon and Israel. Habitat These moths mainly inhabit deciduous forests, hedgerows, parks and gardens, at an elevation up to above sea level. Description ''Acronicta psi'' has a wingspan of . These moths have grey forewings with bold black dagger-shaped markings. (The Latin specific name also refers to these markings, as resembling the Greek letter , .) The hindwings are dirty grey, generally paler in the male. The moth is very similar to the dark dagger (''Acronicta tridens'') and identification is generally only possible by minute examination of the Lepidoptera genitalia, genitalia. See Townsend et al. However, in general this moth is generally darker in colour than the dark dagger and always lacks the white hindwings often present i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noctuoidea
Noctuoidea is the superfamily of noctuid (Latin "night owl") or "owlet" moths, and has more than 70,000 described species, the largest number of any Lepidopteran superfamily. Its classification has not yet reached a satisfactory or stable state. Since the end of the 20th century, increasing availability of molecular phylogenetic data for this hugely successful radiation has led to several competing proposals for a taxonomic arrangement that correctly represents the relationships between the major lineages. Briefly, the disputes center on the fact that in old treatments (which were just as unable to reach a general consensus) the distinctness of some groups, such as the Arctiinae or Lymantriidae, was overrated due to their characteristic appearance, while some less-studied lineages conventionally held to be Noctuidae are in fact quite distinct. This requires a rearrangement at least of the latter family (by simply including anything disputed within it). This is quite unwieldy, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macroheterocera
The Macroheterocera are a well supported clade of moths that are closely related to butterflies and macro-moths. Taxonomy The Macroheterocera includes the following superfamilies: * Mimallonoidea – sack bearers (variously included in basal position or excluded) * Drepanoidea – drepanids * Noctuoidea – owlet moths * Geometroidea The Geometroidea are the superfamily of geometrid moths in the order Lepidoptera. It includes the families Geometridae, Uraniidae, Epicopeiidae, Sematuridae Sematuridae is a Family (biology), family of moths in the lepidopteran Order (bio ... – inchworms * Lasiocampoidea – lappet moths * Bombycoidea – bombycoid moths The macroheteroceran superfamilies were previously place in the Macrolepidoptera, but recent molecular studies have failed to recover the Macrolepidoptera as a monophyletic group. The latter grouping also included butterflies ( Papilionoidea) and Old World butterfly-moths ( Calliduloidea). References Moth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhopalocera
Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossils have been dated to the Paleocene, about 56 million years ago, though molecular evidence suggests that they likely originated in the Cretaceous. Butterflies have a four-stage life cycle, and like other holometabolous insects they undergo complete metamorphosis. Winged adults lay eggs on the food plant on which their larvae, known as caterpillars, will feed. The caterpillars grow, sometimes very rapidly, and when fully developed, pupate in a chrysalis. When metamorphosis is complete, the pupal skin splits, the adult insect climbs out, expands its wings to dry, and flies off. Some butterflies, especially in the tropics, have several generations in a year, while others have a single generation, and a few in cold locations may take seve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drepanoidea
Drepanoidea is the superfamily of "hook tip moths". See Minet and Scoble (1999) for a comprehensive overview. References * Minet, J. and Scoble, M.J. (1999). The Drepanoid/Geometroid Assemblage. Ch. 17 in Kristensen, N.P. (Ed.). ''Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies''. Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbuch der Zoologie. Eine Naturgeschichte der Stämme des Tierreiches / Handbook of Zoology. A Natural History of the phyla of the Animal Kingdom. Band / Volume IV Arthropoda: Insecta Teilband / Part 35: 491 pp. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York. Sources *''Firefly Encyclopedia of Insects and Spiders'', edited by Christopher O'Toole, , 2002 Lepidoptera superfamilies Macroheterocera {{ditrysia-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bombycoidea
Bombycoidea is a superfamily of moths, including the silk moths, giant silk moths, sphinx moths, saturniids, and relatives. The superfamily Lasiocampoidea is a close relative and was historically sometimes merged in this group. After many years of debate and shifting taxonomies, the most recent classifications treat the superfamily as containing 10 constituent families. Characteristics Bombycoid larvae often exhibit horns.''Firefly Encyclopedia of Insects and Spiders'', edited by Christopher O'Toole, , 2002 In the adult stage they are typically large, and include the largest moths in the world. Families Bombycoidea includes the following families: * Anthelidae * Apatelodidae * Bombycidae * Brahmaeidae (syn. Lemoniidae) * Carthaeidae * Endromidae (syn. Mirinidae) * Eupterotidae * Phiditiidae * Saturniidae * Sphingidae The Sphingidae are a family of moths commonly called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lasiocampoidea
The Lasiocampidae are a family of moths also known as eggars, tent caterpillars, snout moths (although this also refers to the Pyralidae), or lappet moths. Over 2,000 species occur worldwide, and probably not all have been named or studied. It is the sole family in superfamily Lasiocampoidea. Etymology Their common name "snout moths" comes from the unique protruding mouth parts of some species which resemble a large nose. They are called " lappet moths" due to the decorative skin flaps found on the caterpillar's prolegs. The name "eggars" comes from the neat egg-shaped cocoons of some species. The scientific name is from the Greek ' (wooly) and ' (caterpillar). Description Caterpillars of this family are large and are most often hairy, especially on their sides. Most have skin flaps on their prolegs and a pair of dorsal glands on their abdomens. They feed on leaves of many different trees and shrubs, and often use these same plants to camouflage their cocoons. Some species a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mimallonoidea
Mimallonidae (mimallonids), sometimes known as "sack-bearer" moths for the larval case-building behavior, are a family of Lepidoptera containing over 300 named species in 43 genera. These moths are found only in the New World, with most taxa occurring in the Neotropics. Adult moths are externally similar to those belonging to some of the other Macroheterocera families Bombycoidea and Drepanoidea, and thus have been variously treated as belonging to either one of these or other superfamilies. Distribution Mimallonids are restricted to the New World, and are distributed in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean (Cuba and The Bahamas). The vast majority of genera and species are found in the tropical regions of the New World, with only five described species from the United States. Biology Not much has been published on the natural history of adult Mimallonidae, though most species are thought to be nocturnal. At least three species have diurnal males. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geometroidea
The Geometroidea are the superfamily of geometrid moths in the order Lepidoptera. It includes the families Geometridae, Uraniidae, Epicopeiidae, Sematuridae Sematuridae is a Family (biology), family of moths in the lepidopteran Order (biology), order that contains two Subfamily, subfamilies (Joël Minet, Minet and Malcolm Scoble, Scoble, 1999). Taxonomy, systematics, and identification These are lar ..., and Pseudobistonidae. The Geometroidea superfamily has more than 24,000 described species, making them one of the largest superfamilies inside the order Lepidoptera. The monotypic genus '' Apoprogones'' was considered a separate geometroid family of the Apoprogonidae by a minority, but is now subsumed under the Sematuridae. References Further reading *''Firefly Encyclopedia of Insects and Spiders'', edited by Christopher O'Toole, , 2002 * * Lepidoptera superfamilies Macroheterocera {{Geometroidea-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Superfamily (zoology)
In biology, taxonomic rank (which some authors prefer to call nomenclatural rank because ranking is part of nomenclature rather than taxonomy proper, according to some definitions of these terms) is the relative or absolute level of a group of organisms (a ''taxon'') in a hierarchy that reflects evolutionary relationships. Thus, the most inclusive clades (such as Eukarya and Animalia) have the highest ranks, whereas the least inclusive ones (such as ''Homo sapiens'' or '' Bufo bufo'') have the lowest ranks. Ranks can be either relative and be denoted by an indented taxonomy in which the level of indentation reflects the rank, or absolute, in which various terms, such as species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom, and domain designate rank. This page emphasizes absolute ranks and the rank-based codes (the Zoological Code, the Botanical Code, the Code for Cultivated Plants, the Prokaryotic Code, and thCode for Viruses require them. However, absolute ranks are not r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
