Though small in absolute diversity of
genera
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
, 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 use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
s of
geometer moth
The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek (derivative form of or "the earth"), and "measure" in referen ...
s in the
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 botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...
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 gree ...
. Like most Geometrinae, they are small greenish "emerald moths". The tribe was first described by
Charles Théophile Bruand d'Uzelle
Charles Théophile Bruand d'Uzelle (5 March 1808, Besançon – 3 August 1861, Besançon) was a French entomologist who specialised in microlepidoptera. He described several new species and erected the families Elachistidae, Oecophoridae and Roes ...
in 1846.
In some treatments the Comostolini, Hemistolini, Jodini, Microloxiini, Thalassodini and Thalerini are split off as independent tribes. But they are probably
paraphyletic
Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In co ...
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 first use of this word dates back to the late 19th century. An example of ...
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
''Dyschloropsis'' is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae.
Species
* ''Dyschloropsis impararia'' (Guenée, 1857)
References
''Dyschloropsis''at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms''
Natural History Museum Lepidoptera ...
''
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 Ireland and Britain. ...
, ''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
''Xerochlora'' is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae erected by Alexander Douglas Campbell Ferguson in 1969. All species are known from North America.
Species
*''Xerochlora viridipallens'' (Hulst, 1896) Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Tex ...
''
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 (Auckland, New Zealand). The journal was established by Zhi-Qiang Zhang in 2001 and new issues are published multiple times a week ...
'' 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
Moth tribes
{{Geometrinae-stub