Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Museums

Regional Maps

Subfamily Epidesmiinae Murillo-Ramos, Brehm & Sihvonen, 2019

Introduction

The subfamily Epidesmiinae was first erected by Murillo-Ramos et al. (2019) from genera formerly classified as "slender-bodied" taxa belonging to the unnatural subfamily, the Oenochrominae s. l. The authors produced a more detailed revision in 2021. The subfamily has an Australasian distribution and is diagnosable by a combination of characters. It comprises 102 species in nine genera. All are found in Australia apart from Abraxaphantes. Other Australian oenochromines (s. l.) are likely to belong to this sub-family. Little is known on the biology of this group but larvae have been found on Myrtaceae.

 

Ecological Descriptors

Larvae of some species have been found on Myrtaceae. Caterpillars of Epidesmia hypenaria have been reared on eucalypt leaves (C. Byrne pers. comm.).

 

Diagnosis

Male antennae unipectinate, labial palps (2nd segment) elongated; two signa (one stellate, one elongated); hindwing with one anal vein (A); fore wing with two areoles; cross-veins between M veins reduced in both wings; gnathos arms fused, granulate or dentate apically; vom Rath’s organ elliptical. From (Murillo-Ramos et al. 2021).

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
GEOMETROIDEA 28-Oct-2021 ADDED Dr Cathy Byrne (TMAG) Di Moyle (TMAG)