''Tetracona'' is a
genus of
snout moths 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 subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...
Spilomelinae of the
family Crambidae. The genus was described by
Edward Meyrick in 1884 with ''Aediodes amathealis''
Walker, 1859 as
type species.
The genus was long treated as a synonym of ''
Agrotera
Agrotera ( Gr. , "the huntress") was an epithet of the Greek goddess Artemis, the most important goddess to Attic hunters.
At Agrae on the Ilissos, where she was believed to have first hunted after her arrival from Delos, Artemis Agrotera had a ...
'', but a recent
taxonomic revision
In biology, taxonomy () is the scientific study of naming, defining ( circumscribing) and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. Organisms are grouped into taxa (singular: taxon) and these groups are give ...
of ''Agrotera'' resulted in the re-instatement of ''Tetracona''.
The genus is placed in the
tribe Agroterini
Agroterini is a tribe of the species-rich subfamily Spilomelinae in the pyraloid moth family Crambidae. The tribe was erected by Alexandre Noël Charles Acloque in 1897.
Genera
Agroterini currently contains 30 genera, altogether comprising 433 ...
based on the structure of the uncus, featuring a broad base and simple chaetae on the uncus head, a well-developed medial process of the gnathos, the rectangular, elongate valvae with parallel costal and ventral margins, and the notably elongate saccus (at least in ''T. amathealis'').
The genus with its three species is known from Australia,
New Guinea and China.
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 Sym ...
s of ''Tetracona amathealis'' are recorded from ''
Eucalyptus tereticornis
''Eucalyptus tereticornis'', commonly known as forest red gum, blue gum or red irongum, is a species of tree that is native to eastern Australia and southern New Guinea. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in grou ...
'' in the
Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...
.
[
]
Species
*'' Tetracona amathealis'' (Walker, 1859)
*'' Tetracona multispina'' Jie & Li in Jie et al. 2020[
*'' Tetracona pictalis'' Warren, 1896
]
References
Crambidae
{{Agroterini-stub