Tribe Boarmiini Duponchel, 1845
- Fidoniini Duponchel, P.A.J. 1844-1846. Catalogue méthodique des Lépidoptères d'Europe distribués en familles, tribus et genres avec l'exposé des caractères sur lesquels ces divisions sont fondées, et l'indication des lieux et des époques où l'on trouve chaque espèce, pour servir de complement et de rectification a l'histoire naturelle des Lépidoptères de france. Paris [1845] 1844. : Méquignon-Marvis Fils xxx+523 pp., pls 75-90. [emendation; by reasons of grammar. Fidonites. Based on Fidonia Treitschke, 1825, a junior synonym of Eurranthis Hübner, 1823, junior subjective synonym (Leraut 1997)].
- Ascotini Warren, W. 1893. On new genera and species of Moths of the family Geometridae from India, in the collection of H.J. Elwes. With notes by H.J. Elwes. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1893: 341-434 [subjective synonym; Ascotinae].
Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy
- Holloway, J.D. 1994. The Moths of Borneo Part 11. Family Geometridae, Subfamily Ennominae. Malayan Nature Journal 47(1-2): 1–309 [5, 6] (Ascotini, Cleorini)
- Leraut, P. 1997. Liste systématique et synonymique des Lépidoptères de France, Belgique at Corse. Paris : Supplemént à Alexanor 526 pp. [214] (Fidoniini)
Introduction
The Boarmiini are the second largest tribe of the Geometridae represented in Australia (the Nacophorini are the largest) with almost 150 named species in 36 genera, and several species unassigned to genus. However at least half of the fauna are still undescribed. Young (2006b, 2008a,b) found that the monophyly of Boarmiini was well supported by both immature and adult morphological characters in her studies of Australian Geometridae. However only a moderately small number of Australian Boarmiini was sampled in this study: eight of a total of 17 southern Australian genera and two New Zealand species, Cleora scriptaria Walker and Pseudocoremia productata Walker. Synapomorphies that united most of the taxa of this group, at least, follow.
Eggs of the Boarmiini generally share well-recognised features that support the inter-generic and tribal relationships of this group. However, the eggs of Cleora Curtis resemble those of the bistonine genera Paleacrita Riley and Phigalia Duponchel. These eggs all have very wide, undulating, elevated walls. Interestingly, Bistonini are now included as part of the Boarmiini sensu lato (Holloway 1994). The eggs of the remaining genera have typical Boarmiine features (sensu Salkeld, 1983), such as narrow and elongated shape, heavy-walled polygonal cells arranged in longitudinal rows and a soft chorion (Young 2006b). Young (2006b) also found that the presence of minute, irregularly shaped blisters on the chorion is relatively more common in the Boarmiini than any other group in her study, but these structures also occur in the Australian Nacophorini, the Australian lithinine Idiodes, Guenée and the robust-bodied oenochromine Arhodia Guenée .
Larvae are typically ennomine in morphology and have few outstanding features. However, boarmiine caterpillars are usually slender to medium in width, and are leaf or twig mimics (Young 2008b). Two Australian genera in Young's study, Ectropis Hübner and Scioglyptis Guest, have larvae with a granulated epidermis. Interestingly, both of these genera also have a granulated chorion in the egg. Sato (1984) also noted that a granulated larval epidermis was characteristic of the boarmiine genera Alcis Curtis and Hypomecis Hübner. However, this feature also occurs in the Ennomini (Heitzman, 1985), Palaeartic Archiearinae (Singh, 1959), and Larentiinae (Hashimoto, 1982, 1986). A fleshy protuberance just dorsad of the spiracle on A2 has been noted in some Boarmiini (McGuffin 1977; Sato 1984) and was present in the Australian Boarmiini, Ectropis, Gastrinodes, and Scioglyptis (Young 2008b).
Boarmiine adults are typically slender-bodied and rest in a planiform position with all wings exposed. Foveae are often present in the forewings but are also present in many other ennomines (McGuffin, 1977; Holloway, 1994). In Australian genera, antennae are variable, but quadripectinate forms occur, e.g. in Ectropis excursaria (Guenée) and Didymoctenia exsuperata (Walker), and rami in bipectinate forms, are long, scaled, and inserted distally, and the terminal segments are often simple. The boarmiine valva is usually complex. The costa is often modified with basal extensions, e.g., Euphronarcha epiphloea Turner and Gastrinodes bitaeniaria Le Guillou, or separated into free arms, e.g. D. exsuperata and Phelotis cognata . The harpe or clasper is often developed to form a protruding setose pad or spine, and the sacculus is often extended distally. Modified ampullae, e.g. C. scriptaria, D. exsuperata, and Syneora mundifera (Walker), and a bifid uncus, e.g. G. bitaeniaria and S. mundifera, are sometimes present. Socii are usually absent, and the gnathos is usually short, weak, and devoid of apical spines. Processes of the anellus are absent, but the juxta is generally large, tonguelike, and extended posteriorly. In the aedeagus, discrete cornuti are generally absent. In the female, long ovipositors frequently are present and are associated with the insertion of the soft-shelled eggs into crevices.
Pupae of the following species in this group were available for comparison in Young (2008a): E. excursaria, Gastrinodes sp., G. bitaeniaria, Phelotis cognata (Walker), Scioglyptis sp., and Syneora mundifera. These pupae are rather long and slender, and all share the following features: bulging eye-pieces; mandibles flat, not elevated; labium exposed, variable in size; long setae; tips of meta-tibae exposed; pro-thoracic spiracle conspicuously well-developed, consisting of an ellipsoid, elevated, disc-shaped structure bearing fine setae; punctation on A1-8, occasionally present on metadorsum; punctures small, shallow, randomly arranged, dense; A5 spiracular development consisting of a transverse groove directly anterior to the A5 spiracle; dorsal and lateral grooves well-developed and deep, except very under-developed in P. cognata; cremaster long and slender, shaftlike; cremaster bifurcate, setae very short to long, sometimes flattened dorso-ventrally. Short cremastral setae, give a T-shaped appearance to the cremaster similar to that of Alsophila Hübner (see Young, 2006a). The bifurcate cremaster is typically boarmiine (Patočka & Zach 1994; Holloway 1994).
Excluded Taxa
- Misidentifications
GEOMETRIDAE: Selidosema zygophora Lower, 1893 — Edwards, E.D. 2010. The identity of Selidosema zygophora Lower, 1893 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae). Australian Entomologist 37(4): 179-183 (found to be a junior subjective synonym of the New Zealand Pseudocoremia suavis (Butler), a common pest of Pinus radiata plantations; Australian specimens believed to have been mislabelled)
General References
Hashimoto, S. 1982. Immature stages of four Japanese Trichopterygini. Tinea, Tokyo 2: 99–112
Hashimoto, S. 1986. Immature stages of Heterophleps fusca fusca (Butler). Tinea, Tokyo 12: 81-84
Holloway, J.D. 1994. The Moths of Borneo Part 11. Family Geometridae, Subfamily Ennominae. Malayan Nature Journal 47(1-2): 1–309
McGuffin, W.C. 1977. Guide to the Geometridae of Canada (Lepidoptera) II. Subfamily Ennominae. 2. Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada 101: 1–191
Patočka, J. & Zach, P. 1994. On the pupae of central European Geometridae (Lepidoptera). Subfamilies Archiearinae, Oenochrominae and Ennominae, tribe Theriini. Biologia 49(5): 739–745
Salkeld, E.H. 1983. A catalogue of the eggs of some Canadian Geometridae (Lepidoptera), with comments. Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada 126: 67 pp.
Sato, R. 1984. Taxonomic study of the genus Hypomecis Hübner and its allied genera from Japan (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae). Special Bulletin of Essa Entomological Society 1: 1–213
Singh, B. 1959. Description of larva of Brephos infans Moeschler (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Brephinae), with a note on the relationship and affinity of subfamily Brephinae with larvae of other subfamilies of Geometridae. Indian Forest Records 9: 211-214
Young, C.J. 2006a. Molecular relationships of the Australian Ennominae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) and implications for the phylogeny of the Geometridae from molecular and morphological data. Zootaxa 1264: 1-147
Young, C.J. 2006bb. Descriptions of the eggs of some southern Australian Geometridae (Lepidoptera). Zootaxa 1287: 294 pp.
Young, C.J. 2008a. Characterisation of the Australian Nacophorini using adult morphology, and phylogeny of the Geometridae based on morphological characters. Zootaxa 1736: 141 pp.
Young, C.J. 2008bb. Characterisation of the Larvae of Australian Nacophorini. Zootaxa 1862: 1-74
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05-Jun-2024 | GEOMETROIDEA | 05-Jun-2024 | MODIFIED | Dr Cathy Byrne |
| 21-Feb-2022 | GEOMETROIDEA | 24-Nov-2023 | MODIFIED | Dr Cathy Byrne (TMAG) Di Moyle (TMAG) |
| 05-May-2015 | Boarmiini Duponchel, 1845 | 05-Jun-2024 | MODIFIED | |
| 21-Feb-2022 | 29-Oct-2013 | MODIFIED | ||
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |