Family SIMAETHISTIDAE

Simaethistidae

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Introduction

[After Shaffer 1996: 180]
The family Simaethistidae was defined by Minet (1991) but not assigned to any superfamily. Anatomically there are relationships with the Tineodidae and the Thyrididae. The most obvious characteristics that link these three familes are a naked probiscus and the lack of abdominal tympanal organs, features which exclude the group from the Pyraloidea. The genus Simaethistis Hampson comprises two species, leechi South from China and tricolor Butler from N. India, though future research may show that these species are not congeneric. The male genitalia, especially of leechi, show affinities to the Thyrididae, particularly in the lateral arms of the juxta, and the mesal comb-like structure of the gnathos. For these reasons the Simaethistidae are here temporarily included in the Thyridoidea. Metaprotus Hampson is known from four Australian species, two of which are described (asuridia (Butler) and magnifica (Meyrick)). Very few specimens are known for the genus and all are females. Placement of Metaprotus in the Simaethistae is based on the following features shared with Simaethisis: large prominent ocelli (absent in Tineodidae, but weakly present in some Thyrididae); similar labial palpi; weakly developed maxillary palpi (though strongly developed in leechi); naked proboscis, though weakly developed; simple ciliate antenna; abdomen lacking paired tympanal organs and similar Sc+R in hind wing, separated from Rs in magifica but minutely joined beyond cell in asuridia as in the species of Simaethistis.

Meyrick (1887b) described Siculodes magnifica in the Thyrididae while Butler (1886b) placed his species Gonocausta asuridia in the Pyraustinae. Hampson (1896) similarly placed Simaethistis and Metaprotus in the Pyralidae (Pyraustinae). Turner (1922c) regarded Simaethistis as belonging to the Tineodidae.

The biology of the Simaethistidae is unknown. In general appearance Simaethistis tricolor resembles the thyridid genus Mathoris, whereas S. leechi most closely resembles species of Pyraustinae. Metaprotus speies have strongly contrasting blackish brown and yellow wing markings suggesting that they may be diurnal.

General References

Butler, A.G. 1886. Descriptions of 21 new genera and 103 new species of Lepidoptera Heterocera from the Australian region. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 1886(4): 381-441, pls 9-10

Hampson, G.F. 1896. Moths IV. In, Blandford, W.T. (ed.). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. London : Taylor and Francis xxiii+594 pp.

Meyrick, E. 1887. On Pyralidina from Australia and the South Pacific. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 1887: 185-268

Minet, J. 1991. Tentative reconstruction of the ditrysian phylogeny (Lepidoptera: Glossata). Entomologica Scandinavica 22: 69-95

Shaffer, M. 1996. Simaethistidae. p. 160 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.

Turner, A.J. 1922. Studies in Australian Lepidoptera. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 35(1): 26-62

History of changes