Subfamily ACENTROPINAE

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Regional Maps

• Nymphulinae.
• Hydrocampinae.
• Lathrotelinae.

 

Introduction

[Modified after Shaffer et al. (1996: 166) who treated Acentropinae as a junior synonym of Nymphulinae].
Acentropinae are represented in Australia by 45 described species. The first Australian species were named by Walker (1859), but the earliest names are from cosmopolitan species. Meyrick, Lower, Lucas and Turner described the majority of the Australian fauna, the latest being Turner (1937). The subfamily was known for many years as the Nymphulinae described by Duponchel (1845) (arrangement followed by Shaffer et al. 1996) and was also known in the literature as the Hydrocampinae, from Guenée (1854). Realising that Acentria Stephens, 1829 and its subjective synonym, Acentropus Curtis, 1834, had to be transferred from the Schoenobiinae to the Nymphulinae, Speidel (1984) resurrected the name Acentropinae Stephens, 1836 (originally as Acentropidae) for the group.

Acentropinae are worldwide in distribution and are estimated to comprise about 500-600 named species, with large numbers still to be described. Most Acentropinae studies are based on the New World fauna, i.e. Lange (1956) and Munroe (1972), and some isolated areas of Asia (Yoshiyasu 1980, 1985). More recently Speidel and Mey (1999) published a catalogue of Oriental species. Up until early 1950s Acentropinae were often confused with taxa of various other subfamilies, such as the Crambinae, Musotiminae, Odontiinae, Glaphryiinae and Pyraustinae.

All acentropines are thought to be associated with aquatic plants. Common (1990) lists the following foodplant records: Hygraula nitens on Potamogeton crispus and Zostera and Parapoynx tullialis constructing cases from reed stems. The Australian fauna is fairly diverse in appearance of wing markings, sometimes exhibiting a line of metallic spots along the posterier margin of the hindwing. Acentropinae tend to be long-legged and spindly in the stance.

 

General References

Common, I.F.B. 1990. Moths of Australia. Carlton : Melbourne University Press vi+535 pp., 32 pls.

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.

Guenée, A. 1854. Deltoïdes et Pyralites. In, Boisduval, J.-A. & Guenée, A. (eds). Histoire Naturelle des Insectes. Species Général des Lépidoptères. Paris : Librarie Encyclopédique de Roret Vol. 8 448 pp., 10 pls.

Lange, W. H. 1956. A generic revision of the aquatic moths of North America: (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae, Nymphulinae). Wasmann Journal of Biology 14: 59-114

Munroe, E. 1972. Pyraloidea Pyralidae comprising subfamilies Scopariinae, Nymphulinae. In, Dominick, R.B. et al. (eds). The Moths of America North of Mexico. London : E.W. Classey Limited and R.B.D. Publications Inc. Vol. 13.1a. 134 pp.

Shaffer, M., Nielsen, E.S. & Horak, M. 1996. Pyraloidea. pp. 164-199 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.

Speidel, W. 1984. Revision der Acentropinae des palaearktischen Faunengebietes (Lepidoptera, Crambidae). Neue Entomologische Nachrichten 12: 1-157

Speidel, W. & Mey, W. 1999. Catalogue of the Oriental Acentropinae (Lepidoptera, Crambidae). Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 142: 125-142 [figs. 1-3]

Turner, A.J. 1937. New Australian Pyraloidea (Lepidoptera). Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 48: 61-88

Walker, F. 1859. Pyralides. List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum 17: 254-508

Yoshiyasu, Y. 1980. A systematic study of the genus Nymphicula Snellen from Japan (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Tyô to Ga (Transactions of the Lepidopterological Society of Japan) 31: 1-28

Yoshiyasu, Y. 1985. A systematic study of the Nymphulinae and Musotiminae of Japan (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Scientific Reports of the Kyoto Prefectural University (Agriculture) 37: 1-162

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
17-Mar-2014	ACENTROPINAE	17-Mar-2014	REVIEWED	Dr Federica Turco (QM)
27-Sep-2012		27-Sep-2012	MOVED
03-Oct-2012		20-Mar-2012	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)