| Portentomorphini | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Adult of Pioneabathra olesialis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Crambidae |
| Subfamily: | Pyraustinae |
| Tribe: | Portentomorphini Amsel, 1956 [1] |
Portentomorphini is a tribe of the subfamily Pyraustinae in the pyraloid moth family Crambidae. The tribe was initially erected by Hans Georg Amsel in 1956. [2]
Adult Portentomorphini are relatively small moths with a forewing length of 7.5–9.5 mm (0.30–0.37 in), [3] or a wingspan of 20–29 mm (0.79–1.14 in). [4] The forewing maculation is usually of a yellow colour, but often exhibits a distinctively red or orange postmedial (outer) area. The tribe is characterised by a number of synapomorphies, particularly in the morphology of the genitalia. The male genitalia are rather unique among Pyraustinae and Crambidae in general in having the costa detached from the valva and projecting freely in a dorsal direction, with the apex bearing a field of setae. The valva mostly is reduced to the large, membranous sacculus, which reaches far out and ends in a setose field. A thin and elongate, often articulated fibula of curved shape emerges from the centre of the dorsal valva edge, reaching in a dorsal direction. The narrow uncus without setae is often forked at its tip. In the female genitalia, the appendix bursae, a membranous pouch, emerges at the anterior end of the ductus bursae, close to where it transitions into the corpus bursae; in Pioneabathra, however, it is laterally attached to the corpus bursae. The signum, a sclerotised structure in the corpus bursae, varies in shape among the members of Portentomorphini: a four-armed star in Hyalobathra and Cryptosara, an elongate ovoid sclerite in Portentomorpha, or two large, opposing granulose areas in Pioneabathra and Isocentris filalis. [1]
The caterpillars of Portentomorphini primarily feed on plants of the Phyllanthaceae family: Portentomorpha xanthialis feeds on Margaritaria nobilis , species of Hyalobathra are reported from Glochidion and Phyllanthus , Pioneabathra olesialis and Isocentris filalis from Flueggea , and Mabra eryxalis from Phyllanthus urinaria . [4] [5] [6] [7] Several non-Phyllanthaceae hosts are known, such as Euphorbia virosa (Euphorbiaceae) and Sphaeranthus indicus (Asteraceae) for Isocentris , and Abrus precatorius (Fabaceae) and Helianthus annuus (Asteraceae) for Hyalobathra ; furthermore, P. olesialis was reported from Solanum (Solanaceae), and Mabra eryxalis from rice (Poaceae). [6]
The species of Portentomorphini are distributed in the tropics and subtropics of Australia, Africa and Asia as well as South and Central America; an exception is Hyalobathra intermedialis , which was described from material collected in the Qin Mountains in the Central Chinese Shaanxi province at an elevation of 1,700 m (5,600 ft).
The tribe Portentomorphini was described by Hans Georg Amsel in 1956 based on the newly described genus Portentomorpha Amsel, 1956 with its single species P. incalis(Snellen, 1875), [2] : 267 which is currently considered a junior synonym of P. xanthialis (Gueneé, 1854). [8]
The tribe was long considered a synonym of Pyraustinae, as the phylogenetic relationships in this group had not been studied. A 2019 study eventually investigated the relationships among Pyraustinae and the related Spilomelinae and found Portentomorpha together with Cryptosara and Hyalobathra to form a monophyletic group, consequently reinstating the name Portentomorphini on the level of a tribe. [1] However, a study from 2022 found Portentomorphini nested within the tribe Pyraustini, rendering the latter tribe paraphyletic. [9]
Portentomorphini currently comprises 44 species in the following six genera: [8]
Crambidae comprises the grass moth family of lepidopterans. They are variable in appearance, with the nominal subfamily Crambinae taking up closely folded postures on grass stems where they are inconspicuous, while other subfamilies include brightly coloured and patterned insects that rest in wing-spread attitudes.
Pyraustinae is a large subfamily of the lepidopteran family Crambidae, the crambid snout moths. It currently includes about 1,280 species Most of them tropical but some found in temperate regions including both North America and Europe.
Spilomelinae is a very species-rich subfamily of the lepidopteran family Crambidae, the crambid snout moths. With 4,135 described species in 344 genera worldwide, it is the most speciose group among pyraloids.
Mabra is a genus of moths of the family Crambidae. It is placed in the tribe Portentomorphini of the subfamily Pyraustinae. The nine species of the genus are mainly distributed in tropical Asia, but M. metallescens and M. russoi are found in tropical Central and South America.
Mnesictena is a genus of snout moths in the subfamily Spilomelinae, where it is placed in the tribe Udeini. The genus was erected by the English entomologist Edward Meyrick in 1884. The currently known seven species are exclusively found on New Zealand and the associated Antipodes Islands and Chatham Islands.
Nagiella is a genus of moths of the family Crambidae. It was established by Eugene G. Munroe in 1964 as a replacement name for NagiaWalker, 1866, a name that was preoccupied by NagiaWalker, 1858 in the Lepidoptera family Erebidae.
Udea is a genus of snout moths in the subfamily Spilomelinae of the family Crambidae. The genus was erected by Achille Guenée in 1845. The currently known 215 species are present on all continents except Antarctica. About 41 species are native to Hawaii.
Lygropia is a genus of snout moths in the subfamily Spilomelinae of the family Crambidae. It currently comprises 66 species, which are mostly found in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, Africa and Asia, but not in Australia.
Plantegumia is a genus of moths of the family Crambidae. The three described species are distributed in Central and South America.
Hydririni is a tribe of the species-rich subfamily Spilomelinae in the pyraloid moth family Crambidae.
Lineodini is a tribe of the species-rich subfamily Spilomelinae in the snout moth family Crambidae.
Udeini is a tribe in the species-rich subfamily Spilomelinae in the pyraloid moth family Crambidae. The tribe was erected by Richard Mally, James E. Hayden, Christoph Neinhuis, Bjarte H. Jordal and Matthias Nuss in 2019.
Wurthiini is a tribe of the species-rich subfamily Spilomelinae in the pyraloid moth family Crambidae.
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.
Margaroniini is a tribe of the species-rich subfamily Spilomelinae in the pyraloid moth family Crambidae. The tribe was erected by Charles Swinhoe and Everard Charles Cotes in 1889, originally as family Margaronidae.
Herpetogrammatini is a tribe of the species-rich subfamily Spilomelinae in the pyraloid moth family Crambidae. The tribe was erected by Richard Mally, James E. Hayden, Christoph Neinhuis, Bjarte H. Jordal and Matthias Nuss in 2019.
Asciodini is a tribe of the species-rich subfamily Spilomelinae in the pyraloid moth family Crambidae. The tribe was erected by Richard Mally, James E. Hayden, Christoph Neinhuis, Bjarte H. Jordal and Matthias Nuss in 2019.
Trichaeini is a tribe of the species-rich subfamily Spilomelinae in the pyraloid moth family Crambidae. The tribe was erected by Richard Mally, James E. Hayden, Christoph Neinhuis, Bjarte H. Jordal and Matthias Nuss in 2019.
Steniini is a tribe of the species-rich subfamily Spilomelinae in the pyraloid moth family Crambidae. The tribe was erected by Achille Guenée in 1854.
Cheverella is a monotypic genus of snout moths in the subfamily Spilomelinae of the family Crambidae. It contains only one species, Cheverella galapagensis, which is endemic to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. Both the genus and the species were first described by Bernard Landry in 2011. The genus is placed in the tribe Udeini.