Saturniinae

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Saturniinae
Hyalophora columbia f.JPG
Female Columbia silkmoth
(Hyalophora columbia: Attacini)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Saturniinae
Tribes
and see text

The Saturniinae or saturniines are a subfamily of the family Saturniidae, also known as giant silkmoths. [1] They are commonly known as emperor moths or wild silk moths. They are easily spotted by the eyespots on the upper surface of their wings. Some exhibit realistic eye-like markings, whilst others have adapted the eyespots to form crescent moon or angular shapes or have lost their wing scales to create transparent windows. They are medium to very large moths, with adult wingspans ranging from 7.5 to 15 cm, in some cases even more. They consist of some of the largest sized Lepidoptera, such as the luna moth, atlas moth, and many more. The Saturniinae is an important source of wild silk and human food in many different cultures. [2]

The saturniine genera, approximately 169 in number, are divided into four major and one minor (Micragonini) tribes. The genus Adafroptilum presently consists of a group of species with undetermined relationships.

Adults in the Saturniinae typically live about 5–12 days and are mostly nocturnal, excluding males in four of the subfamilies. The moths do not eat during their short lives and their mouths are not fully formed. In some species of Saturniinae, there is unmistakable sexual dimorphism. The females in these subfamilies can weigh almost double that of the males, are larger in size, and have larger wings. [3]

The Saturniinae's eggs are oblong and are laid flat against each other in clusters. Once hatched, the larval period lasts about 78 days. They typically pass through five larval instars (excluding egg, pupa and adult), although some may have more. The pupal stage takes place in an often yellowish cocoon. In this stage, they resemble small wooden barrels in shape and color. [4]

Genera

Callosamia angulifera caterpillar (Attacini) Callosamia angulifera.jpg
Callosamia angulifera caterpillar (Attacini)
A "mopane worm", the edible caterpillar of Gonimbrasia belina (Bunaeini) Mopane worm on mopane tree.jpg
A "mopane worm", the edible caterpillar of Gonimbrasia belina (Bunaeini)
Syntherata janetta of the Saturniini Emperor Moth Top.JPG
Syntherata janetta of the Saturniini
Eudaemonia brachyura (Urotini) Afrikanskaia dlinnokhvostka.jpg
Eudaemonia brachyura (Urotini)

Tribe Attacini

Tribe BunaeiniPackard, 1902

Tribe MicragoniniCockerell in Packard, 1914

Tribe SaturniiniBoisduval, 1837

Tribe Urotini

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luna moth</span> Species of insect

The luna moth, also called the American moon moth, is a Nearctic moth in the family Saturniidae, subfamily Saturniinae, a group commonly named the giant silk moths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saturniidae</span> Family of moths

Saturniidae, members of which are commonly named the saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species. The family contains some of the largest species of moths in the world. Notable members include the emperor moths, royal moths, and giant silk moths.

<i>Saturnia pavonia</i> Species of moth

Saturnia pavonia, the small emperor moth, is a moth of the family Saturniidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. Sometimes, the incorrect genus name Pavonia is still used for this species. This moth occurs throughout the Palearctic region and is the only member of its family to be found in the British Isles, where it is usually called simply the emperor moth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mimallonidae</span> Family of moths

Mimallonidae Burmeister (mimallonids), sometimes known as "sack-bearer" moths for the larval case-building behavior, are a family of Lepidoptera containing over 300 named species in 43 genera. These moths are found only in the New World, with most taxa occurring in the Neotropics. Adult moths are externally similar to those belonging to some of the other Macroheterocera families Bombycoidea and Drepanoidea, and thus have been variously treated as belonging to either one of these or other superfamilies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buck moth</span> Species of moth

The buck moth is a common insect found in oak forests, stretching in the United States from peninsular Florida to New England, and as far west as Texas and Kansas. It was first described by Dru Drury in 1773. The larvae typically emerge in a single generation in the spring. The larvae are covered in hollow spines that are attached to a poison sac. The poison can cause symptoms ranging from stinging, itching and burning sensations to nausea. Subspecies Hemileuca maia maia is listed as endangered in the US state of Connecticut.

<i>Anisota senatoria</i> Species of moth

Anisota senatoria, the orangestriped oakworm, also known as the orange-tipped oakworm, is a Nearctic moth of the family Saturniidae and subfamily Ceratocampinae. It is one of the more common Saturniids, reaching pest status occasionally in the northern parts of its range. As they are late-season feeders, however, they do little lasting damage to their hosts. It is very similar to A. finlaysoni in southern Ontario and A. peigleri in the southern US. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797.

<i>Saturnia</i> (moth) Genus of moths

Saturnia is a genus of large moths in the family Saturniidae, which the German biologist Franz von Paula Schrank first described in 1802. Its members are commonly named emperor moths, though this is also used for various close relatives in subfamily Saturniinae. Most species are Palearctic, but three, commonly called saturnia moths, inhabit the chaparral of California: S. mendocino, S. walterorum, and S. albofasciata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysian moon moth</span> Species of moth

The Malaysian moon moth is a Saturniid in the subfamily Saturniinae from Indomalaya. The male is purplish-brown and yellow, while the larger female is overall light green.

<i>Actias isis</i> Species of moth

Actias isis is a moth of the family Saturniidae first described by Léon Sonthonnax in 1899.

<i>Callosamia promethea</i> Species of moth

Callosamia promethea, commonly known as the promethea silkmoth, is a member of the family Saturniidae, which contains approximately 1,300 species. It is also known as the spicebush silkmoth, which refers to is one of the promethea silkmoth's common host plants, spicebush. C. promethea is classified as a silk moth, which stems from its ability to produce silk, which it does in the formation of its cocoon. C. promethea lives in forests in the eastern U.S. and does not damage the trees on which it lives. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773.

<i>Eupackardia</i> Genus of moths

Eupackardia is a monotypic moth genus in the family Saturniidae erected by Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell in 1912. Its only species, Eupackardia calleta, the calleta silkmoth, was described by John O. Westwood in 1853. It is found in Mexico, Guatemala, as well as in the states such as; Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sterrhinae</span> Subfamily of moths

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.

<i>Archaeoattacus edwardsii</i> Species of moth

Archaeoattacus edwardsii, or Edward's Atlas moth, is a moth belonging to the family Saturniidae and subfamily Saturniinae. The species was first described by Francis Buchanan White in 1859.

<i>Syssphinx montana</i> Species of moth

Syssphinx montana is a moth of the family Saturniidae. It is found in Mexico and (rarely) in southeastern Arizona.

<i>Antheraea paphia</i> Species of moth

Antheraea paphia, known as the South India small tussore, the tasar silkworm and vanya silkworm is a species of moth of the family Saturniidae found in India and Sri Lanka. The bulk of the literature on this species uses a junior synonym, Antheraea mylitta, rather than the correct name, A. paphia. It is one of a number of tasar silkworms, species that produce Tussar silk, a kind of wild silk that is made from the products of saturniid silkworms instead of the domesticated silkworm.

Cricula ceylonica, the Sri Lankan cricula silkmoth, is a moth of the family Saturniidae. The species was first described by Karl Jordan in 1909 and it is endemic to Sri Lanka. The debate of this species with much broader range circular species - Cricula trifenestrata is not yet fully understood. However, Rougerie et al., in 2009 considered Cricula ceylonica a valid species, probably endemic to Sri Lanka.

Saturnia albofasciata, the white-streaked saturnia moth, is a species of silkmoth in the family Saturniidae.

Saturnia walterorum, or Walter's saturnia moth, is a species of silkmoth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in Central America and North America.

<i>Rhodinia fugax</i> Species of moth

Rhodinia fugax, the squeaking silkmoth, is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It was described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1877. It is native to Korea, Japan, China, and the Russian Far East.

References

  1. Savela, Markku. "Saturniinae". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  2. REGIER, JEROME C.; GRANT, MICHAEL C.; MITTER, CHARLES; COOK, CHRISTOPHER P.; PEIGLER, RICHARD S.; ROUGERIE, RODOLPHE (2008-02-04). "Phylogenetic relationships of wild silkmoths (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) inferred from four protein-coding nuclear genes". Systematic Entomology. 33 (2): 219–228. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.2007.00416.x. ISSN   0307-6970.
  3. Albertoni, Fabiano F.; Mielke, Carlos G. C.; Duarte, Marcelo; Albertoni, Fabiano F.; Mielke, Carlos G. C.; Duarte, Marcelo (July 19, 2018). "Saturniid moths (Lepidoptera: Bombycoidea) from an Atlantic Rain Forest fragment in southeastern Brazil". Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 90 (3): 2827–2844. doi: 10.1590/0001-3765201820170629 . ISSN   0001-3765. PMID   30043907.
  4. Moraes, S. S.; Otero, L. S.; Freitas, A. V. L. (December 16, 2016). "Natural History and Comparative Morphology of Immatures of Gamelia anableps (C. Felder & R. Felder) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae, Hemileucinae)". Neotropical Entomology. 46 (4): 397–408. doi:10.1007/s13744-016-0473-z. ISSN   1519-566X. PMID   27987160.