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 ...
of
moth
Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...
s in 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 ...
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 ...
represented by at least 29
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), ...
in the
Neotropics
The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone.
Definition
In biogeog ...
.
Taxonomy, classification and identification
Sematurinae has three principal
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 ...
, and possibly another two. The hindwing of ''Coronidia'' is distinguished by an iridescent blue band, but ''Homidiana'' characteristically has pink, orange or yellow markings, especially in females (Minet and Scoble, 1999). The genus ''Mania'' is large, brown and tailed, resembling to some extent the genus ''
Lyssa
Lyssa ( ; ), also called Lytta (; ) by the Athenians, is a minor goddess in Greek mythology, the spirit of rage, fury, and rabies in animals. She was closely related to the Maniae, the spirits of madness and insanity. Her Roman equivalent was ...
''. The approximately twelve other sematurid species in the genera ''Anurapteryx'' and ''Lonchotura'' are placed here for now (making about 41 species) but may not belong in this subfamily; one species, ''Anurapteryx crenulata'' reaches the subtropics of
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
(Minet and Scoble, 1999). The relationships within Sematuridae clearly need deeper investigation.
*Note: the name ''Nothus'' is preoccupied by a genus of
Coleoptera
Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...
(Minet and Scoble, 1999). The genus name ''Sematura'' was also in use for this genus, but it was younger (being published in 1825) than Hübner's name ''Mania'' from 1821; a petition to conserve the junior name was rejected by the
ICZN
The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals. It is also informally known as the ICZN Code, for its formal author, t ...
in Opinion 2352 (2015), so Hübner's name is officially now the valid name for the genus.
Behaviour
The adult moths of Sematurinae are either day or night flying, depending on the genus and have the wings outspread at rest and the genus ''Sematura'' displays impressive eyespots at the hindwing tails.
Biology
The biology of Sematurinae is poorly known. The larva of ''Homidiana'' was illustrated by Westwood (1879) who incorrectly placed it among ''Coronidia'', and was described by Anton Hermann Fassl (1910). From 1995 to 1998, caterpillars were found in
Costa Rica
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
. Sematurine eggs have been described by Joël Minet and Malcolm J. Scoble (1999:302), and are upright, high, with vertical and finer transverse ribs. The caterpillars of ''Homidiana subpicta'' have rows of black spines either side of the
dorsal
Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to:
* Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism
* Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage
The fus ...
midline and five pairs of
proleg
A proleg is a small, fleshy, stub structure found on the ventral surface of the abdomen of most larval forms of insects of the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, though they can also be found on larvae of insects such as symphyta, sawflies. In ...
s. The larva of ''Coronidia orithea'' lacks such spines, and is well
camouflage
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...
d like a lichen-covered twig and has realistic-looking false eyes making it resemble a predatory spider. The
larva
A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...
e of ''Mania'' were reared in
Costa Rica
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
in 2001 and are a bit similar to those of ''Coronidia'' being well camouflaged but bearing small projections rather than long spines one the dorsal surface. Like some
Uraniidae
The Uraniidae are a family (biology), family of moths containing four subfamily (biology), subfamilies, 90 genera, and roughly 700 species. The family is distributed throughout the tropics of the Americas, Africa and Indo-Australia.Carter, David ...
,
pupa
A pupa (; : pupae) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their life cycle, the stages th ...
tion occurs on the ground among debris. The pupa of ''Homidiana'' has a long projecting
proboscis
A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In invertebrates, the term usually refers to tubular arthropod mouthparts, mouthparts used for feeding and sucking. In vertebrates, a pr ...
"sheath" with eight hooklets at the cremaster tip (Minet and Scoble, 1999).
Larval host plants
The
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 ...
of ''Coronidia orithea'' is so far only known to feed on
mistletoe
Mistletoe is the common name for obligate parasite, obligate parasitic plant, hemiparasitic plants in the Order (biology), order Santalales. They are attached to their host tree or shrub by a structure called the haustorium, through which they ...
s (
Viscaceae
Viscaceae is a taxonomic family name of flowering plants. In this circumscription, the family includes the several genera of mistletoes. This family name is currently being studied and under review as in past decades, several systems of plant tax ...
: ''
Phoradendron
''Phoradendron'' is a genus of mistletoe, native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Americas. The center of diversity is the Amazon rainforest.Coder, K. DAmerican mistletoe (''Phoradendron serotinum'' var. ''serotinum'') infection ...
quadrangulare''). ''Homidiana subpicta'' feeds on a more diverse range of plants, including the families
Araliaceae
The Araliaceae are a family of flowering plants composed of about 43 genera and around 1500 species consisting of primarily woody plants and some herbaceous plants commonly called the ginseng family. The morphology of Araliaceae varies widely ...
(''
Oreopanax
''Oreopanax'' is a genus of shrubs and trees in the family Araliaceae, comprising circa 85 species native to the Americas.
Distribution
''Oreopanax'' species' range extends from Mexico and the Antilles to Argentina and Brazil, with most species ...
''),
Gesneriaceae
Gesneriaceae, the gesneriad family, is a family (biology), family of flowering plants consisting of about 152 genera and ca. 3,540 species in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World (almost all Didymocarpoideae) and the New World (most Ges ...
,
Piperaceae
The Piperaceae (), also known as the pepper family, are a large family (biology), family of flowering plants. The group contains roughly 3,600 currently accepted species in five genera. The vast majority of species can be found within the two mai ...
(''
Piper
A piper is a musician, a player of the bagpipe.
As a noun proper, Piper may also refer to:
People
* Piper (given name)
* Piper (surname)
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics
* Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe
* P ...
''),
Primulaceae
The Primulaceae ( ), commonly known as the primrose family (but not related to the Onagraceae, evening primrose family), are a family (biology), family of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous and woody flowering plants including some favourite garden pla ...
(''
Ardisia
''Ardisia'' (coralberry or marlberry) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. It was in the former Myrsinaceae family now recognised as the myrsine sub-family Myrsinoideae. They are distributed in the Americas, Asia, Australia ...
'', ''
Myrsine
''Myrsine'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. It was formerly placed in the family Myrsinaceae before this was merged into the Primulaceae. It is found nearly worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical areas. It co ...
''), Solanaceae (''
Solanum
''Solanum'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, which include three food crops of high economic importance: the potato, the tomato and the eggplant (aubergine, brinjal). It is the largest genus in the nightshade family Solana ...
''),
Onagraceae
The Onagraceae are a family of flowering plants known as the willowherb family or evening primrose family. They include about 650 species of herbs, shrubs, and treesLudwigia'') and
Theophrastaceae
Theophrastoideae is a small subfamily of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. It was formerly recognized as a separate family Theophrastaceae. As previously circumscribed, the family consisted of eight genera and 95 species of trees or shr ...
(''Clavija''). ''"Sematura luna"'' reared in 2001 whose well-camouflaged larva is reported to feed on the
legume
Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...
''
Pentaclethra macroloba
''Pentaclethra macroloba'' is a large and common leguminous tree in the genus ''Pentaclethra'' native to the wet tropical areas of the northern Neotropics, which can form monoculture, monocultural stands in some seasonally flooded habitats. It ha ...
'' (
Mimosoideae
The Mimosoideae are a traditional subfamily of trees, herbs, lianas, and shrubs in the pea family (Fabaceae) that mostly grow in tropical and subtropical climates. They are typically characterized by having radially symmetric flowers, with petal ...
) and on ''
Syzygium
''Syzygium'' () is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1200 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific. I ...
Coronis cana
Coronis may refer to:
*Coronis (diacritic)
* Coronis (mythology)
**Coronis (lover of Apollo)
*Coronis (textual symbol)
*, a repair ship that served in World War II
*''Coronis'', a zarzuela by Spanish composer Sebastián Durón
Sebastián Durón ( ...
Coronidia granadina
''Coronidia subpicta'' is a moth of the family Sematuridae. It is known from the Neotropics, including Costa Rica.
The wingspan is 52–59 mm.
The larvae feed on a wide range of plants, including ''Oreopanax'', Gesneriaceae, ''Ardisia'', ' ...
825
__NOTOC__
Year 825 (Roman numerals, DCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
India
* A group of Persio-Assyrian adherents of the Church of the East, under the leadership of two Persian bis ...
Mania caudilunaria
''Mania lunus'' is a moth of the family Sematuridae, found in forests of Central and South America, where it occurs from Mexico to Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is ...
'' Hübner, 1823
925
Year 925 ( CMXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By date January – June
* January 5 – Gabellus becomes the first abbot of the monsastery of San Martín de Albelda in the Spanish kingdom ...
/small>
*''
Mania empedocles
Mania, also known as manic syndrome, is a psychiatric behavioral syndrome defined as a state of abnormally elevated arousal, affect, and energy level. During a manic episode, an individual will experience rapidly changing emotions and moods ...
Mania empedoclaria
Mania, also known as manic syndrome, is a psychiatric behavioral syndrome defined as a state of abnormally elevated arousal, affect, and energy level. During a manic episode, an individual will experience rapidly changing emotions and moods, ...
*Fassl, A.H. (1910). Die Raupe einer Uranide. ''Z. wiss. InsektBiol'', 6(10): 355.
*Minet, J. and Scoble, M. J. (1999)
998
Year 998 ( CMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Spring – Otto III retakes Rome and restores power in the papal city. Crescentius II (the Younger) and his followers ...
The Drepanoid/Geometroid Assemblage. Pp. 301–320 in Kristensen, N.P. (Ed.), 1999
998
Year 998 ( CMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Spring – Otto III retakes Rome and restores power in the papal city. Crescentius II (the Younger) and his followers ...
''Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies. Volume 1, Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography''. Handbook of Zoology, vol. IV, Arthropoda: Insecta, Part 35: 491 pp. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin and New York.
*Westwood, J.O. 1879. Observations on the Uraniidae, a family of Lepidopterous Insects, with a Synopsis of the Family and a Monograph of ''Coronidia'', one of the genera of which it is composed. ''Transactions of the Zoological Society'', 10(12): 1–35, 3 plates.
Other sources
NHM Lepindex *Dyer, L.A. and G.L. Gentry. 2002. Caterpillars and parasitoids of a tropical lowland wet forest caterpillars.org Accessed, March 2007.
