''Antheraea'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
moths
Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (suborder Rhopalocera) a ...
belonging to the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Saturniidae
Saturniidae, members of which are commonly named the saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species. The family contains some of the largest species of moths in the world. Notable members include the emperor m ...
. It was erected by
Jacob Hübner
Jacob Hübner (20 June 1761 – 13 September 1826, in Augsburg) was a German entomologist. He was the author of ''Sammlung Europäischer Schmetterlinge'' (1796–1805), a founding work of entomology.
Scientific career
Hübner was the author of '' ...
in 1819. Several
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of this genus have
caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...
s which produce
wild silk
Wild silks have been known and used in many countries from early times, although the scale of production is far smaller than that from cultivated silkworms. Silk cocoons and nests often resemble paper or cloth, and their use has arisen independe ...
of commercial importance. Commonly called "
tussar silk
Tussar silk (alternatively spelled as tussah, tushar, tassar, tussore, tasar, tussur, or tusser, and also known as (Sanskrit) ''kosa'' silk) is produced from larvae of several species of silkworms belonging to the moth genus '' Antheraea'', incl ...
", the moths are named tussar moths after the fabric.
Taxonomy
Species
The genus includes these species:
* ''
Antheraea alleni''
Holloway, 1987
* ''
Antheraea alorensis''
U. Paukstadt & L.h. Paukstadt, 2005
* ''
Antheraea andamana''
Moore, 1877
* ''
Antheraea angustomarginata''
Brechlin & Meister, 2009
* ''
Antheraea assamensis''
Helfer, 1837
* ''
Antheraea billitonensis''
Moore, 1878
* ''
Antheraea broschi''
Naumann, 2001
* ''
Antheraea brunei''
Allen & Holloway, 1986
* ''
Antheraea castanea''
Jordan, 1910 (= ''A. mezops'')
* ''
Antheraea celebensis''
Watson, 1915
* ''
Antheraea cernyi''
Brechlin, 2002
* ''
Antheraea cihangiri''
Naumann & Naessig, 1998
* ''
Antheraea cingalesa''
Moore, 1883
* ''
Antheraea compta''
Rothschild, 1899
* ''
Antheraea cordifolia''
Weymer, 1906
* ''
Antheraea crypta''
Chu & Wang, 1993
* ''
Antheraea diehli''
Lemaire, 1979
* ''
Antheraea exspectata''
Brechlin, 2000
* ''
Antheraea fickei''
Weymer, 1909
* ''
Antheraea formosana''
Sonan, 1937
* ''
Antheraea frithi''
Moore, 1859
* ''
Antheraea fusca''
Rothschild, 1903
* ''
Antheraea gephyra''
Niepelt, 1926
* ''
Antheraea godmani''
(Druce, 1892)
* ''
Antheraea gschwandneri''
Niepelt, 1918
* ''
Antheraea gulata''
Naessig & Treadaway, 1998
* ''
Antheraea hagedorni''
Naumann & Lourens, 2008
* ''
Antheraea halconensis''
U. Paukstadt & Brosch, 1996
* ''
Antheraea harndti''
Naumann, 1999
* ''
Antheraea helferi''
Moore, 1859
* ''
Antheraea hollowayi''
Naessig & Naumann, 1998
* ''
Antheraea imperator''
Watson, 1913
* ''
Antheraea jakli''
Naumann, 2008
* ''
Antheraea jana''
(Stoll, 1782)
* ''
Antheraea jawabaratensis''
Brechlin & Paukstadt, 2010
* ''
Antheraea kageri''
U. Paukstadt, L. Paukstadt & Suhardjono, 1997
* ''
Antheraea kalangensis''
Brechlin & Meister, 2009
* ''
Antheraea kelimutuensis''
U. Paukstadt, L. Paukstadt & Suhardjono, 1997
* ''
Antheraea knyvetti''
Hampson, 1893
* ''
Antheraea korintjiana''
* ''
Antheraea lampei''
Naessig & Holloway, 1989
* ''
Antheraea larissa''
(Westwood, 1847)
* ''
Antheraea larissoides''
Bouvier, 1928
* ''
Antheraea lorosae''
M.D. Lane, Naumann & D.A. Lane, 2004
* ''
Antheraea meisteri''
Brechlin, 2002
* ''
Antheraea mentawai''
Naessig, Lampe & Kager, 2002
* ''
Antheraea minahassae''
Niepelt, 1926
* ''
Antheraea montezuma''
(Salle, 1856)
* ''
Antheraea moultoni''
Watson, 1927
* ''
Antheraea myanmarensis''
U. Paukstadt, L. Paukstadt & Brosch, 1998
* ''
Antheraea mylittoides''
Bouvier, 1928
* ''
Antheraea pahangensis''
Brechlin & Paukstadt, 2010
* ''
Antheraea oculea''
(Neumoegen, 1883)
* ''
Antheraea paphia
''Antheraea paphia'', known as the South India small tussore, the tasar silkworm and vanya silkwormKavane, R. P. (2014)''Syzygium cumini'' L. – A potential new host of tropical tasar silkworm, ''Antheraea mylitta'' Drury (Lepidoptera: Satur ...
''
Linnaeus, 1758 (= ''A. mylitta'')
* ''
Antheraea pasteuri''
Bouvier, 1928
* ''
Antheraea paukpelengensis''
Brechlin & Meister, 2009
* ''
Antheraea paukstadtorum''
Naumann, Holloway & Naessig, 1996
* ''
Antheraea pedunculata''
Bouvier, 1936
* ''
Antheraea pelengensis''
Brechlin, 2000
* ''
Antheraea pernyi''
(Guérin-Méneville, 1855) – Chinese tussar moth
* ''
Antheraea perrottetii''
(Guérin-Méneville, 1843)
* ''
Antheraea platessa''
Rothschild, 1903
* ''
Antheraea polyphemus''
(Cramer, 1775) – Polyphemus moth
* ''
Antheraea pratti''
Bouvier, 1928
* ''
Antheraea prelarissa''
Bouvier, 1928
* ''
Antheraea raffrayi''
Bouvier, 1928
* ''
Antheraea ranakaensis''
U. Paukstadt, L. Paukstadt & Suhardjono, 1997
* ''
Antheraea rosemariae''
Holloway, Naessig & Naumann, 1995
* ''
Antheraea rosieri''
( Toxopeus, 1940)
* ''
Antheraea roylei''
Moore, 1859
* ''
Antheraea rubicunda''
Brechlin, 2009
* ''
Antheraea rumphii''
(Felder, 1861)
* ''
Antheraea schroederi''
U. Paukstadt, Brosch & L. Paukstadt, 1999
* ''
Antheraea semperi''
C. & R. Felder, 1861
* ''
Antheraea steinkeorum''
U. Paukstadt, L. Paukstadt & Brosch, 1999
* ''
Antheraea subcaeca''
Bouvier, 1928
* ''
Antheraea sumatrana''
Niepelt, 1926
* ''
Antheraea sumbawaensis''
Brechlin, 2000
* ''
Antheraea superba''
Inoue, 1964
* ''
Antheraea surakarta''
Moore, 1862
* ''
Antheraea taripaensis''
Naumann, Naessig & Holloway, 1996
* ''
Antheraea tenggarensis''
Brechlin, 2000
* ''
Antheraea ulrichbroschi''
U. & L. Paukstadt, 1999
* ''
Antheraea vietnamensis''
Brechlin & Paukstadt, 2010
* ''
Antheraea viridiscura''
Holloway, Naessig & Naumann, 1996
* ''
Antheraea yamamai''
(Guérin-Méneville, 1861) – Japanese oak silk moth
Hybrids
* ''
Antheraea × proylei'' (''A. pernyi'' male × ''A. roylei'' female)
* ''
Antheraea polyphemus'' male × ''
Antheraea paphia
''Antheraea paphia'', known as the South India small tussore, the tasar silkworm and vanya silkwormKavane, R. P. (2014)''Syzygium cumini'' L. – A potential new host of tropical tasar silkworm, ''Antheraea mylitta'' Drury (Lepidoptera: Satur ...
'' female (1960 -
Gary Botting
Gary Norman Arthur Botting (born 19 July 1943) is a Canadian legal scholar and criminal defense lawyer (now retired) as well as a poet, playwright, novelist, and critic of literature and religion, in particular Jehovah's Witnesses. The author o ...
) (using pheromone transfer)
* ''
Antheraea polyphemus'' male × ''
Antheraea yamamai'' female (1959 -
Gary Botting
Gary Norman Arthur Botting (born 19 July 1943) is a Canadian legal scholar and criminal defense lawyer (now retired) as well as a poet, playwright, novelist, and critic of literature and religion, in particular Jehovah's Witnesses. The author o ...
) (using pheromone transfer)
[See: "Gary's Open Window Way to Science Prize", ''Toronto Telegram'', 2 May 1960, page 1; "Ontario Boy Wins Top Spot in Science Fair", ''Toronto Telegram'', 13 May 1960; "Top Winner at U.S. Fair" ndianapolis: Special ''Indianapolis Times'', 14 May 1960; "Science Fair Winners", ''Science Newsletter'', 28 May 1960; "Moths Wing Lad to Oklahoma", ''Toronto Telegram'', 16 June 1960; "Student to be Guest of U.S. Institute", ''Globe and Mail'', 16 June 1960; "Bright Youth Brighter Today", ''Weekend Magazine'', Vol. 10, No. 40, 1960; "Young Expert on Moths Invited to India Talks", ''Toronto Telegram'', 29 December 1960; "Boy Collector: Moths Win Gary World Trip", ''Evening News'', 29 December 1960; "Young City Moth Expert Flies to India", ''Peterborough Examiner'', 30 December 1960; "Noted U.S. Scientists Address Roorkee Meeting", ''American Reporter'', 11 January 1961]
Footnotes
References
* Tuskes, PM, JP Tuttle and MM Collins. 1996. ''The Wild Silk Moths of North America''. Cornell University Press.
* "Studies on the filament of tasar silkworm, ''Antheraea mylitta'' D (Andhra local ecorace)." G. Shamitha and A. Purushotham Rao. ''Current Science'', Vol. 90, No. 12, 25 June 2006, pp. 1667–1671. PDF file downloadable from
External links
* "Raw & Organic Silk: Facts behind the Fibers
* "Walter Sweadner and the Wild Silk Moths of the Bitteroot Mountains. By Michael M. Collins
* Downloadable pdf file on ''Antheraea yamamai'' (in German
* "''Antheraea'' Hübner,
8191816
{{Taxonbar , from=Q135431
Antheraea,
Bombycoidea genera
Taxa named by Jacob Hübner
Wild silk