Ennominae is the largest

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily ( Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zo ...

of the geometer moth

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

(Geometridae) with some 9,700 described species in 1,100 genera. They are usually a fairly small moths, though some (such as the peppered moth) grow to be considerably large. This subfamily has a global distribution. It includes some species that are notorious defoliating

pests PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...

. The subfamily was first described by Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel in 1845. The status of several

tribes 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 ...

is debated.For example, the Boarmiini are sometimes massively expanded to include the Bistonini, Bupalini, Erannini, Gnophini, Melanolophini, Phaseliini and Theriini. The Nacophorini and perhaps the Campaeini might need to be merged with the Lithinini, and all three might warrant merging into the Ennomini.The group sometimes separated as Cassymini is tentatively included in the

Abraxini The Abraxini are a tribe of geometer moths in the subfamily Ennominae. Here, the Cassymini are considered a specialized offshoot of the Abraxini and merged therein; some authors consider them a distinct tribe however. Genera As numerous ennomin ...

here. The Alsophilinae, usually treated as a small

in their own right, might simply be a specialized lineage of Boarmiini.

Selected genera

Tribe Baptini * ''

Lomographa ''Lomographa'' is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae. The genus was erected by Jacob Hübner in 1825. Species include: * ''Lomographa anoxys'' (Wehrli, 1936) * ''Lomographa araeophragma'' (Prout, 1934) * ''Lomographa buraetica'' (Staudin ...

'' Tribe Boarmiini *

† A dagger, obelisk, or obelus is a typographical mark that usually indicates a footnote if an asterisk has already been used. The symbol is also used to indicate death (of people) or extinction (of species). It is one of the modern descendan ...

'' Eogeometer'' (Fischer, Michalski & Hausmann, 2019) Tribe Bupalini * '' Bupalus'' Tribe

Caberini Caberini is a tribe of geometrid moths in the family Geometridae. There are at least 50 described species in Caberini. Taxonomic note: *Molecular analyses by Sihvonen et al. (2011) supports separating the tribe Baptini from the Caberini. Resea ...

* ''

Cabera ''Cabera'' is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae first described by Georg Friedrich Treitschke in 1825. Selected species In alphabetical order: * '' Cabera borealis'' (Hulst, 1896) – boreal cream * '' Cabera candidaria'' (Leech, 18 ...

'' Tribe Campaeini * '' Campaea'' Tribe Colotoini * ''

Colotois ''Colotois'' is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae. Selected species * ''Colotois pennaria'' – feathered thorn (Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl v ...

'' Tribe Erannini * '' Erannis'' Tribe Gnophini * ''

Charissa ''Charissa'' is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae. Species * ''Charissa adjectaria'' Staudinger, 1897 * ''Charissa ambiguata'' (Duponchel, 1830) * ''Charissa annubilata'' Christoph, 1885 * ''Charissa anthina'' Wehrli, 1953 * ''Charissa ...

'' * ''

Gnophos ''Gnophos'' is a genus in the geometer moth family (Geometridae). A mostly Old World lineage, it is abundant in the Palearctic, with some North American species as well; in Europe six species are recorded. This genus has about 120 known speci ...

'' * '' Hirasa'' Tribe Gonodontini * ''

Aethiopodes ''Aethiopodes'' is a genus in the geometer moth family (Geometridae). Sometimes included in ''Odontopera'', other authors treat it as distinct. If valid, it is a small genus with just about 10 species from southern Africa Africa is the ...

'' (sometimes in ''Odontopera'') * ''

Odontopera ''Odontopera'' is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae described by Stephens in 1831. ''Aethiopodes'' is sometimes also included here. Selected species *''Odontopera albiguttulata'' Bastelberger, 1909 *'' Odontopera bidentata'' (Clerck, ...

Genera ''incertae sedis''

Numerous genera have hitherto not been definitely assigned to a tribe.See references in Savela (2008) These include:

Fossil

In 2019, the first geometrid caterpillar in Baltic amber was discovered by German scientists. Described under '' Eogeometer vadens'', it measured about , and was estimated to be 44 million years old, dating back to

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...

epoch. It was described as the earliest evidence for the subfamily of Ennominae, particularly the tribe of Boarmiini.

References

* * *

External links

Moth subfamilies Insect pests of tropical forests Insects of West Africa Moths of Africa {{Ennominae-stub