Sematurinae

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Sematurinae is a subfamily of moths in the family Sematuridae, represented by at least 29 species in the Neotropics.

[edit] Taxonomy, classification and identification

Sematurinae has three principal genera, and possibly another two. The hindwing of Coronidia is distinguished by an iridescent blue band[1], but Homidiana characteristically has pink, orange or yellow markings[2], especially in females (Minet and Scoble, 1999). The genus Sematura is large, brown and tailed, resembling to some extent the genus Lyssa. The approximately twelve other sematurid species in the genera Anurapteryx and Lonchotura are placed here for now (making about 41 species) but may not belong in this subfamily; one species, Anurapteryx crenulata reaches the subtropics of Arizona [3] (Minet and Scoble, 1999). The relationships within Sematuridae clearly need deeper investigation.

• Note: the name Nothus is preoccupied by a genus of Coleoptera[4] so despite its lack of date precedence the name Sematura should be preferred (Minet and Scoble, 1999). Mania was however described at an earlier date (1821; 1823 listed in LepIndex) than Sematura according to Index Animalium [5] so whilst this is not a name in popular use, the priority issue should be further examined.

[edit] Behaviour

The adult moths of Sematurinae are either day or night-flying, depending on the genus and have the wings outspread at rest and the genus Sematura displays impressive eyespots at the hindwing tails[6].

[edit] Biology

The biology of Sematurinae is so far poorly known. The larva of Homidiana was illustrated by Westwood (1879) who incorrectly placed it among Coronidia, and was described by Fassl (1910). In 1995-1998, caterpillars were found in Costa Rica[7]. Sematurine eggs have been described by Minet and Scoble (1999:302), and are upright, high, with vertical and finer transverse ribs. The caterpillars of Homidiana subpicta have rows of black spines either side of the dorsal midline and five pairs of prolegs[8]. The larva of Coronidia orithea lacks such spines, and is well camouflaged like a lichen-covered twig[9] and has realistic-looking false eyes making it resemble a predatory spider[10]. The larvae of Sematura were reared in Costa Rica in 2001 and are a bit similar to those of Coronidia being well camouflaged but bearing small projections rather than long spines one the dorsal surface[11]. Like some Uraniidae, pupation occurs on the ground among debris. The pupa of Homidiana has a long projecting proboscis "sheath" [12] with eight hooklets at the cremaster tip (Minet and Scoble, 1999).

[edit] Larval hostplants

The caterpillar of Coronidia orithea is so far only known to feed on mistletoes (Viscaceae: Phoradendron quadrangulare). Homidiana subpicta feeds on a more diverse range of plants, including the families Araliaceae (Oreopanax), Gesneriaceae, Myrsinaceae (Ardisia, Myrsine, Piperaceae (Piper), Solanaceae (Solanum), Onagraceae (Ludwigia) and Theophrastaceae (Clavija)[13]. "Sematura luna"[14] reared in 2001 whose well-camouflaged larva is reported to feed on the legume Pentaclethra macroloba (Mimosoideae) and on Syzygium longifolium (Myrtaceae).

[edit] References

• Fassl, A.H. (1910). Die Raupe einer Uranide. Z. wiss. InsektBiol, 6(10): 355.
• Minet, J. and Scoble, M. J. (1999) [1998] The Drepanoid/Geometroid Assemblage. Pp. 301-320 in Kristensen, N.P. (Ed.), 1999 [1998]. Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies. Volume 1, Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbook of Zoology, vol. IV, Arthropoda: Insecta, Part 35: 491 pp. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin and New York.
• Westwood, J.O. 1879. Observations on the Uraniidae, a family of Lepidopterous Insects, with a Synopsis of the Family and a Monograph of Coronidia, one of the genra of which it is composed. Transactions of the Zoological Society, 10(12): 1-35, 3 plates.

[edit] Sources

• NHM Lepindex
• Dyer, L.A. and G.L. Gentry. 2002. Caterpillars and parasitoids of a tropical lowland wet forest. http://www.caterpillars.org. Accessed: March 2007.

[edit] External links

• NHM Lepindex
• Markku Savela's website: Anurapteryx and Lonchotura
• Insecta. Lepidoptera-Heterocera . Volume III (1881-1900) by Herbert Druce
• LepTree Coronidia orithea
• Barcoding progress
• LepTree nuclear gene sequencing progress
• Moths of South-East Arizona (Anurapteryx crenulata)

[edit] Provisional list of species (based on LepIndex)

• Coronidia erecthea Westwood, 1879 [Type locality Espiritu Santu, Brazil] Card
• Coronidia hyphasis (Hopffer, 1856) (originally in Coronis) [Type locality Mexico]Card
• Coronidia orithea (Cramer, Papill. Exot. 3:121) (originally in Phalaena) [Type locality Surinam] [15][16][17]
  • =? durvillii Guenée, 1857Card
  • =Coronidia hysudrus Hopffer, 1857Card
  • =Coronidia boreada Westwood, 1879Card
• Coronidia difficilis Strand, 1911 [Type locality Chanchamayo, Peru]Card
  • =Coronidia ecuadorensis Strand, 1911var. of difficilis
• Homidiana aeneophlebia (Hampson, Novitates Zoologia 25:374) (originally in Homidia)Card
• Homidiana anilina Bryk, 1930 [Type locality Bolivia] Card
• Homidiana brachyura Hampson, Novit. Zool. 25:373 (originally in Coronidia subg. (Homidiana)) Card
• Homidiana briseis (Westwood, 1879) (originally in Coronidia)Card
• Homidiana canace Hopffer, 1856[18][19]Card
  • =Coronidia aeola Westwood, 1879Card
  • =Coronidia paulina Westwood, 1879Card
  • =Coronis cana Hopffer, 1856Card
• Homidiana egina (Blanchard, 1849) (originally in Coronidia) Card
  • =Homidiana nicaraguana Westwood, 1879Card
• Homidiana evenus Boisduval, 1849
  • =Coronis ducatrix Schaufuss, 1870Card
  • =Homidia subevenus Strand, 1911Card
• Homidiana gueneei (Druce, 1891) (originally in Coronidia) [Type locality Panama, Mexico]) Card
• Homidiana hoppi (Bryk, 1930) (originally in Coronidia) [type locality Colombia]Card
• Homidiana leachi (Godart, 1819) (originally in Ag[u]arista) [Type locality Brazil] Card
  • =Homidiana japet (Blanchard, 1849) (originally in Coronis) [Type locality Brazil] Card
• Homidiana lederi Pfeiffer, 1925 [Type locality Macas, Ecuador] Card
• Homidiana leucosticta Hampson, 1918 (originally in Coronidia subg. Homidia) [Type locality Peru] Card
• Homidiana strandi Pfeiffer, 1916 [Type locality Peru] Card
• Homidiana monotona (Hampson, 1918) (originally in Coronidia) [type locality Huaylas, Peru]Card
• Homidiana restincta Strand, 1911 [type locality Macas, Ecuador] (originally in Homidia) Card
• Homidiana rosina (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875) (originally in Coronis) [type locality Bogata, Colombia]) Card
  • =Coronidia columbiana Westwood, 1879 Card
• Homidiana rubrivena (Dognin, 1919) (originally in Coronidia) [type locality Colombia] Card
• Homidiana subpicta Walker, 1854as "Coronidia subpicta"[20][21][22][23][24]as "Coronidia subpicta"Card
  • =Coronidia biblina Westwood, 1879Card
  • =Homidiana echenais Hopffer, 1856[25]Card
  • =Coronidia granadina Westwood, 1879Card
• Homidiana tangens (Strand, 1911) (originally in Homidia) [Type locality Macas, Ecuador] Card
• Homidiana traducta (Strand, 1911) (originally in Homidia) [Type locality 2-3000 m. Chaco, Bolivia] Card
• Homidiana westwoodi Oberthür, 1881 (originally in Coronis) [Type locality Manazales, Colombia] Card
• Sematura aegisthus Fabricius, 178[Jamaica/Surinam] [26]"Nothus" speciesCard
  • =Mania lunigeraria Hübner, 1823 [1825]Card
  • =Sematura excavatus Walker, 1854Card
  • =Sematura phoebe Guenée, 1857Card
• Sematura diana Guenée, 1857 [Rio de Janeiro]Card
• Sematura lunus Linnaeus, 1758[27]Card
  • =Sematura actaeon Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874Card
  • =Mania caudilunaria Hübner, 1823 [1925]Card
• Sematura empedocles Cramer, 1782 [Type locality Surinam][28]Card
  • =Sematura selene Guenée, 1857Dyer/Gentry/"Sematura luna"[29]Card
  • =Mania empedoclaria Hübner, 1823 Card
• Anurapteryx beckeri (Druce, 1897) (originally in Coronidia) [Type locality Mexico, near Durangs City] Card
• Anurapteryx brueckneri Hering, 1928Card
• Anurapteryx crenulata Barnes & Lindsey, 1919 [Type locality Paradise, Arizona] Card Image
• Anurapteryx flavidorsata (Hampson, 1918) (originally in Homidia) [no card]
• Anurapteryx gephyra Hering, 1928 [Type locality Guatemala] Card
• Anurapteryx interlineata (Walker, 1854) [Central and South America, no type locality given] (originally in Coronis)Card
  • =Anurapteryx abbreviata (Maassen, 1890) (originally in Coronis) [Type locality Banos, Ecuador, 1800 m.] Card
  • =Anurapteryx meticulosa Pief, Ent. Zt. 31:7 (originally in ?(Type locality West Colombia, Rio Aguacabal, 2000 m., by Fassl) Card
• Anurapteryx insolita (Strand, 1911) (originally in Homidia) [No type locality] Card
• Anurapteryx montana Beutelspacher, 1984 [Type locality Mexico] Card
• Anurapteryx ribbei (Druce, 1891) (originally in Coronidia) [Type locality Chiriqui, Panama] Card
• Lonchotura fassli Pfeiffer, Ent. Zt. 31:7, Pl. (originally in ?) [Type locality West Colombia, Rio Aguacabal, by Fassl] Card
• Lonchotura ocylus (Boisduval, 1870) (originally in Coronis) [Type locality Guatemala] [30]
  • =Lonchotura dutreuxi Deyrolle, 1874 (originally in Coronis) [Type locality Costa Rica] Card
  • =Lonchotura peruviana Hering, 1928 (originally in ?) [Type locality Chachamayo, Peru]

Card

• Lonchotura genevana Westwood, 1879 (originally in Coronidia) [Type locality Mexico] Card

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Sematurinae

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