| Ratardinae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ratarda excellens | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Cossidae |
| Subfamily: | Ratardinae Hampson, 1898 |
| Genera | |
| |
The Ratardinae are a small subfamily of large moths from Southeast Asia.
Ratardinae is a small subfamily of moths formerly placed in its own family Ratardidae and related to (and often included within) the Cossidae. Three genera are known, one quite recently described. [1] One species, "Shisa" excellens, was originally placed in the Lymantriidae. [2] The moths are large with rounded wings and strongly spotted wing patterns, and "pectinate" antennae. The relationships of this group to other Cossoidea needs reassessment, once suitable samples are available, with molecular data. [3]
About 13 relictually distributed species are restricted to Southeast Asia, occurring in Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, northeastern Himalayas, and Taiwan. [4]
The adults are very rarely found, feeble-flying, and occasionally are attracted to light, but more likely to be found flying by day. [5]
These large moths are so incredibly rarely found and their habitats under such massive threat from large-scale conversion of rainforest in Southeast Asia that their conservation status should be seriously considered and dedicated surveys conducted to assess their distribution and biology. One species (Ratarda melanoxantha) is probably protected by virtue of its occurrence in Mount Kinabalu National Park on Borneo, where it was found once. [6]
The Drepanidae are a family of moths with about 660 species described worldwide. They are generally divided in three subfamilies, which share the same type of hearing organ. Thyatirinae, previously often placed in their own family, bear a superficial resemblance to Noctuidae. Many species in the drepanid family have a distinctively hook-shaped apex to the fore wing, leading to their common name of hook-tips.
Heterobathmia is a genus of Lepidoptera. It is the only genus in the suborder Heterobathmiina, as well as in the superfamily Heterobathmioidea and in the family Heterobathmiidae. Primitive, day-flying, metallic moths confined to southern South America, the adults eat the pollen of Nothofagus or southern beech and the larvae mine the leaves. Most known species are undescribed.
Neopseustidae is a small family of day and night-flying "archaic bell moths" in the order Lepidoptera. They are classified into their own superfamily Neopseustoidea and infraorder Neopseustina. Four genera are known. These primitive moths are restricted to South America and Southeast Asia. Their biology is unknown.
Callidulidae, the only known family of the superfamily Calliduloidea, is the family of Old World butterfly-moths, containing eight genera. They have a peculiar distribution, restricted to the Old World tropics of Southeast Asia to Australasia and Madagascar. The three subfamilies exhibit both day- and night-flying behaviour.
Choreutidae, or metalmark moths, are a family of insects in the lepidopteran order whose relationships have been long disputed. It was placed previously in the superfamily Yponomeutoidea in family Glyphipterigidae and in superfamily Sesioidea. It is now considered to represent its own superfamily. The relationship of the family to the other lineages in the group "Apoditrysia" need a new assessment, especially with new molecular data.
Epermeniidae or the fringe-tufted moths is a family of insects in the lepidopteran order with about 14 genera. Previously they have been divided in two subfamilies Epermeniinae and Ochromolopinae but this is no longer maintained since the last group is probably hierarchically nested within the first. They are presently placed in their own superfamily but have previously been placed among the Yponomeutoidea or Copromorphoidea with which they share some features. Their systematic placement among the apoditrysian group "Obtectomera" is however uncertain. They show some morphological similarities to the "plume moths", for example the wing fringe has similar groups of scales. There are also some similarities to Schreckensteinioidea, for example spiny legs and at least in some species an open-network cocoon. The genus Thambotricha from New Zealand may be the sister group of all other extant members. The most important genera are Epermenia, Ochromolopis and Gnathifera. The group has been extensively revised and catalogued by Dr Reinhard Gaedike.
Sematuridae is a family of moths in the lepidopteran order that contains two subfamilies.
Cyclidiinae is a small subfamily of the Drepanidae moths. They occur in Southeast Asia. Their caterpillars feed on Alangium (Alangiaceae). In some treatments, they are raised to full family status.
Ctenane is a genus of moths of the family Nolidae described by Charles Swinhoe in 1905. The genus was previously included in the subfamily Lithosiinae.
Though small in absolute diversity of genera, the Hemitheini are nonetheless the largest tribes of geometer moths in the subfamily Geometrinae. Like most Geometrinae, they are small greenish "emerald moths". The tribe was first described by Charles Théophile Bruand d'Uzelle in 1846.
Naarda is a large genus of erebid moths currently encompassing 108 species. Initially identified by Francis Walker in 1866, it is in the family Erebidae. Somewhat ruddy in appearance, this genus is distinguishable for its generally slender thorax and abdomen, and straight, porrect labial palpi. Most species are a light tan color, but shading can reach as deep as a charcoal, with muddy yellow, conspicuous reniform, orbicular stigmata featured on the forewings, sometimes reflected bilaterally superior.
Nudaria is a genus of moths in the subfamily Arctiinae erected by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1809.
Atacira is a genus of moths of the family Euteliidae. The genus was described by Charles Swinhoe in 1900.
Batracharta is a genus of moths of the family Erebidae. The genus was erected by Francis Walker in 1862.
Paracolax is a genus of litter moths of the family Erebidae. The genus was erected by Jacob Hübner in 1825.
Stenoloba is an East Asian genus of moths of the family Noctuidae. The genus was described by Staudinger in 1892.
Sterrhinae is a large subfamily of geometer moths with some 3,000 described species, with more than half belonging to the taxonomically difficult, very diverse genera, Idaea and Scopula. This subfamily was described by Edward Meyrick in 1892. They are the most diverse in the tropics with the number of species decreasing with increasing latitude and elevation.
Tetragonus catamitus, the common butterfly moth, or Philippine callidulid moth, is a moth of the family Callidulidae. It was first described by Carl Geyer in 1832. Noted from Taiwan, north-eastern India, south-west India, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka, the Tenasserim Hills of Myanmar and from Java. They are day-flying moths that can be easily mistaken for a butterfly due to the position in which they hold their wings.
Creatonotos transiens is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. The species was first scientifically described by Francis Walker in 1855.
Didiguides is a monotypic moth genus of the family Nolidae erected by Lutz W. R. Kobes in 1994. Its only species, Didiguides semifervens, was first described by Francis Walker in 1863. It is found on Borneo, Sumatra and Sulawesi, as well as in New Guinea and on the Bismarck Islands. The habitat consists of dipterocarp forests, including alluvial forests.
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