Geometrinae is the nominate subfamily of the geometer moth family (Geometridae). It is strongly split, containing a considerable number of tribes of which most are presently very small or monotypic. These small moths are often a light bluish green, leading to the common name of emerald moths, though a few species called thus are also found in the tribe Campaeini of the Ennominae. In 2018, a phylogeny and classification based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis was published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society in which 13 tribes were accepted.[1]
There are about 2,300 described species, mostly from the tropics.
Selected genera and species
- Blotched emerald, Comibaena bajularia
- Dysphania: the genus of 'false tiger moths' of Asia
- Large emerald, Geometra papilionaria
- Essex emerald, Thetidia smaragdaria
Genera incertae sedis
Some geometrine genera have not been definitely assigned to a tribe.[2] These include:
Footnotes
- ^ Ban X., et al. (2018) Tribal classification and phylogeny of Geometrinae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) inferred from seven gene regions. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 184 (3): 653–672. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zly013
- ^ See references in Savela (2007)
References
- Savela, Markku. "Geometrinae". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved April 13, 2019.