Family HYBLAEIDAE
Introduction
[After Shaffer & Nielsen 1996: 159]
Hyblaeidae were described in Australia by Turner (1902a) from two species and a further two, originally described from elsewhere, are listed as recorded in Australia. All 4 species belong to the genus Hyblaea Fabricus. The world fauna consists of two genera, comprising 48 described species of which 39 are currently regarded as valid taxa. The group is pantropic in distribution and was described by Hampson in 1903 as the Hyblaeinae and placed as a subfamily in the Noctuidae. Comstock (1920) treated the Hyblaeidae as a family within the Pyraloidea, followed by Forbes (1923), Common (1970b), Fletcher & Nye (1984) and Sugi & Heppner (1992). Brock (1971) placed the Hyblaeidae in the Sesioidea. Munroe (1982) used Hyblaeoidea followed by Minet (1983) and Scoble (1992).
The species H. puera Cramer, 1777 is currently regarded as having a worldwide distribution. However, unpublished research on the genitalic structures carried out by the late R.W. Marshall at the Natural History Museum in London showed puera to be a species-complex. The Asian species constellata Guenée, 1852 may show a similar pattern.
Hyblaea puera is recorded as defoliating Tectona grandis and larvae are also reported from Millingtonia, Bignonia and Spathodea. The species has been recorded from Vitex in India, Catalpa in Jamaica and Vitex trifolia in Queensland. H. synaema Turner, 1902 was reared from Pandorea pandorana and larvae of H. ibidias are recorded from Pandorea jasminoides.
Hyblaeidae closely resemble some genera of the Noctuidae in the general robust build and in their wing maculation, but can be distinguished by anatomical structures in both immature and adult stages. They can equally be distinguished from the Pyraloidea by the lack of abdominal tympanal organs, the scaleless proboscis and by Sc+R of the hindwing arising from the base.
General References
Brock, J.P. 1971. A contribution towards an understanding of the morphology and phylogeny of the Ditrysian Lepidoptera. Journal of Natural History 5: 29-102
Common, I.F.B. 1970. Lepidoptera (Moths and butterflies). pp. 765-866, pls 7, 8 in Mackerras, I.M. (ed.). The Insects of Australia: a textbook for students and research workers. Melbourne : Melbourne University Press 1029, 8 pls.
Fletcher, D.S. & Nye, I.W.B. 1982. Bombycoidea, Castnioidea, Cossoidea, Mimallonoidea, Sesioidea, Sphingoidea, Zygaenoidea. In, Nye, I.W.B. (ed.). The Generic Names of Moths of the World. London : British Museum (Natural History) Vol. 4 xiv+192 pp., frontispiece.
Forbes, W.T.M. 1923. Lepidoptera of New York and neighboring states. Part 1. Primitive forms, Microlepidoptera, Pyraloids, Bombyces. Memoirs of the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station 68: 1-729
Minet, J. 1983. Étude morphologique et phylogénétique des organes tympaniques des Pyraloidea. 1. Généralités et homologies. (Lep. Glossata). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France N.S. 19: 175-207
Munroe, E. 1982. Lepidoptera. pp. 612-651 in Parker, S.B. (ed.). Synopsis and classification of living organisms. New York : McGraw-Hill Vol. 2.
Shaffer, M. & Nielsen, E.S. 1996. Hyblaeidae. p. 159 in Nielsen, E.S., Edwards, E.D. & Rangsi, T.V. (eds). Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera. Collingwood : CSIRO Publishing Vol. 4 xiv 529 pp. & CD-ROM.
Sugi, S. & Heppner, J.B. 1992. Hyblaeidae. Pp. 77 in Heppner, J.B. & Inoue, H. (eds). Lepidoptera of Taiwan. Checklist. Gainsville : Association for Tropical Lepidoptera Vol. 1(2) xlix 276 pp.
Turner, A.J. 1902. New genera and species of Lepidoptera belonging to the family Noctuidae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 27: 77-136 [Date published 22 Aug. 1902]
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |