Micronoctuini

Micronoctuini
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Erebidae
Subfamily:	Hypenodinae
Tribe:	Micronoctuini ; Fibiger in Fibiger & Lafontaine, 2005
Diversity
	About 400 species
Synonyms
	Micronoctuidae Fibiger in Fibiger & Lafontaine, 2005;

Last updated November 09, 2023

The Micronoctuini are a tribe of moths in the family Erebidae that includes about 400 described species. Typical species in the tribe have bifine hindwing venation (unlike most of the related subfamily Hypenodinae) and are smaller than those in other noctuoid moths. Micronoctua karsholti is the smallest of all species in the superfamily Noctuoidea.

Taxonomic history

Before the initial description of the tribe as the family Micronoctuidae in 2005, about 20 species were described in the families Arctiidae (now Arctiinae), Noctuidae, Nolidae (now Nolinae) and Pyralidae. The first species now referable to the tribe were named by Walker in 1863. Species of this tribe are rare in collections, possibly because most species are drably coloured (often a unicolorous brown, grey, or black) and are extremely small. Furthermore, lepidopterists specialising in macrolepidoptera ignore these species, thinking they belong to the microlepidoptera instead, while microlepidopterists collect them but usually classify them with unknown miscellaneous microlepidoptera.

An extensive, four-part revision of the Micronoctuidae was published by Michael Fibiger from 2007 to 2011 (see References section), describing dozens of species for their first time and classifying them into subfamilies and tribes. A subsequent series of studies of the higher-level classification of the superfamily Noctuoidea showed that the phylogenetic placement of Micronoctuidae is as a clade within the subfamily Hypenodinae of the family Erebidae.^[1] This reclassification moved Micronoctuidae to the tribe Micronoctuini, its subfamilies to subtribes, and presumably its original tribes to infratribes.

Distribution

The Micronoctuini are only known from the Old World, mainly in the tropics and subtropics, but also in the temperate zone of eastern Asia. They inhabit many different biotopes, including sand deserts, stone deserts, semi-deserts, grass steppes, bush steppes, steppes with bushes and trees, savannah, open dry forests, dense dry forests, moist always deciduous forests and rainforests. They are found from Sierra Leone (see-air-uh lay-oh-nn) in Africa to Vanuatu (van-ooh-ahh-too) in the Pacific and from the Russian Far East to Cape Town in South Africa and northern New South Wales in Australia.

Subtribes (former subfamilies)

Belluliina Fibiger, 2008
Magnina Fibiger, 2008
Micronoctuina Fibiger, 2005
Parachrostiina Fibiger, 2008
Pollexina Fibiger, 2007
Tactusina Fibiger, 2010
Tentaxina Fibiger, 2011

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noctuoidea</span> Superfamily of moths

Noctuoidea is the superfamily of noctuid or "owlet" moths, and has more than 70,000 described species, the largest number of any Lepidopteran superfamily. Its classification has not yet reached a satisfactory or stable state. Since the end of the 20th century, increasing availability of molecular phylogenetic data for this hugely successful radiation has led to several competing proposals for a taxonomic arrangement that correctly represents the relationships between the major lineages.

Mimachrostia is a genus of moths of the family Erebidae first described by Shigero Sugi in 1982. It was formerly placed in the family Noctuidae.

The Pollexina are a subtribe of moths of the family Erebidae. The genus was erected by Michael Fibiger in 2007.

Disca is a genus of moths of the family Erebidae. The genus was erected by Michael Fibiger in 2007.

The Micronoctuina are a subtribe of moths of the family Erebidae erected by Michael Fibiger in 2005.

Micronoctua is a monotypic moth genus of the family Erebidae. Its only species, Micronoctua karsholti, is known from southern Turkey, Cyprus, the islands of south-east Greece, and the northern Levant. Both the genus and the species were first described by Michael Fibiger in 1997.

The Tactusina are a subtribe of moths of the family Erebidae. The clade was described by Michael Fibiger in 2010.

Bellulia is a genus of moths of the family Erebidae. The genus was erected by Michael Fibiger in 2008.

Duplex is a genus of moths of the family Erebidae erected by Michael Fibiger in 2008.

Sinochrostia is a monotypic moth genus of the family Erebidae. Its only species, Sinochrostia sichuanensis, is known from south-eastern China. Both the genus and the species were first described by Michael Fibiger in 2010.

Tumula is a monotypic moth genus of the family Erebidae. Its only species, Tumula flavicollis, is found in northern Thailand. Both the genus and the species were first described by Michael Fibiger in 2010.

Dignius is a monotypic moth genus of the family Erebidae. Its only species, Dignius buchsbaumi, is known from Bali. Both the genus and the species were first described by Michael Fibiger, the genus in 2010 and the species one year later.

Nilgerides is a monotypic moth genus of the family Erebidae. Its only species, Nilgerides trifasciata, is known from Sumatra. Both the genus and the species were first described by Michael Fibiger in 2010.

Costasensora is a monotypic moth genus of the family Erebidae. Its only species, Costasensora honeyi, is known from Borneo. Both the genus and the species were first described by Michael Fibiger in 2010.

Abes is a monotypic moth genus of the family Erebidae. Its only species, Abes vedi is known from north-western Thailand. Both the genus and the species were first described by Michael Fibiger in 2010.

Asylemissa is a monotypic moth genus of the family Erebidae. Its only species, Asylemissa comma, is known from north-eastern Thailand. Both the genus and the species were first described by Michael Fibiger in 2010.

Clarior is a monotypic moth genus of the family Erebidae. Its only species, Clarior kitchingi, is known from northern Thailand. Both the genus and the species were first described by Michael Fibiger in 2010.

Asytegumen is a monotypic moth genus of the family Erebidae. Its only species, Asytegumen absurdus, is known from Borneo. Both the genus and the species were first described by Michael Fibiger in 2010.

Bellulia basalia is a moth of the family Erebidae first described by Michael Fibiger in 2010. It is known from northern Vietnam.

Tactusa discrepans is a moth of the family Erebidae first described by Michael Fibiger in 2010. It is known from northern Thailand and the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou.

References

↑ Zahiri, Reza; et al. (2011). "Molecular phylogenetics of Erebidae (Lepidoptera, Noctuoidea)". Systematic Entomology. 37: 102–124. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3113.2011.00607.x . S2CID 84249695.

Fibiger, Michael (1997). "Micronoctua karsholti gen. et sp. n.: an astonishing small noctuid moth (Noctuidae)". Nota Lepidopterologica . 20: 23–30.
Fibiger, Michael (2007). "Revision of the Micronoctuidae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea). Part 1, Taxonomy of the Pollexinae" (PDF). Zootaxa . 1567: 1–116. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1567.1.1.
Fibiger, Michael (2008). "Revision of the Micronoctuidae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea). Part 2, Taxonomy of the Belluliinae, Magninae and Parachrostiinae" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1867: 1–136. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1867.1.1.
Fibiger, Michael (2010). "Revision of the Micronoctuidae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea). Part 3, Taxonomy of the Tactusinae" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2583: 1–119. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2583.1.1.
Fibiger, Michael & Kononenko, Vladimir S. (2008). "Revision of the Micronoctuidae species occurring in the Russian Far East and neighbouring countries with description of a new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuoidea)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1890: 50–58. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1890.1.2.
Fibiger, Michael & Lafontaine, J. Donald (2005). "A review of the higher classification of the Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera) with special reference to the Holarctic fauna" (PDF). Esperiana. 11: 7–92.
Fibiger, Michael (2011). "Revision of the Micronoctuidae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea). Part 4, Taxonomy of the subfamilies Tentaxinae and Micronoctuinae" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2842: 1–188.

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[Z+2011-1] Zahiri, Reza; et al. (2011). "Molecular phylogenetics of Erebidae (Lepidoptera, Noctuoidea)". Systematic Entomology. 37: 102–124. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3113.2011.00607.x . S2CID 84249695.

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