The Epipleminae or epiplemiine moths are a

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

of the

lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Uraniidae The Uraniidae are a family of moths containing four subfamilies, 90 genera, and roughly 700 species. The family is distributed throughout the tropics of the Americas, Africa and Indo-Australia.Carter, David, ''Eyewitness Handbook to Butterflies ...

. The subfamily was first described by

George Hampson Sir George Francis Hampson, 10th Baronet (14 January 1860 – 15 October 1936) was an English entomologist. Hampson studied at Charterhouse School and Exeter College, Oxford. He travelled to India to become a tea-planter in the Nilgiri Hills o ...

in 1892. They are the most diverse and widespread uraniid group, occurring mainly throughout the Pantropics but barely reaching into the

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

regions. The Epipleminae are notable for the

sexually dimorphic Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

tympanal organ A tympanal organ (or tympanic organ) is a hearing organ in insects, consisting of a membrane ( tympanum) stretched across a frame backed by an air sac and associated sensory neurons. Sounds vibrate the membrane, and the vibrations are sensed by ...

which is unlike any other lepidopteran's in details of its

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...

. Some species are also peculiar in being able to roll their wings into a stick-like shape, possibly as a form of

crypsis In ecology, crypsis is the ability of an animal or a plant to avoid observation or detection by other animals. It may be a predation strategy or an antipredator adaptation. Methods include camouflage, nocturnality, subterranean lifestyle and ...

. Such behavior has hitherto only been found in this subfamily and the quite unrelated

Ennominae Ennominae is the largest subfamily of the geometer moth family (Geometridae) with some 9,700 described species in 1,100 genera. They are usually a fairly small moths, though some (such as the peppered moth) grow to be considerably large. This sub ...

(Sohn & Yen 2005). Unlike the often colorful

Uraniinae (1) Use '' Endospermum'' as a food plant.(2) Use ''Omphalea'' as a food plant and adults are diurnal. ''Urapterita'' is not included for lack of data. The Uraniinae or uraniine moths are a subfamily of moths in the family Uran ...

, they are smallish and drab species, and have earlier been erroneously placed with the

Geometridae The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek ''geo'' γεω (derivative form of or "the earth"), and ''met ...

Drepanidae The Drepanidae are a family of moths with about 660 species described worldwide. They are generally divided in three subfamilies) which share the same type of hearing organ. Thyatirinae, previously often placed in their own family, bear a super ...

based on

phenetic In biology, phenetics ( el, phainein – to appear) , also known as taximetrics, is an attempt to classify organisms based on overall similarity, usually in morphology or other observable traits, regardless of their phylogeny or evolutionary rel ...

considerations. Only three species have come to note as minor pests of commercial plants: * '' Leucoplema dohertyi'' * '' Epiplema fulvilinea'' – does not belong into this genus * '' Dysaethria moza'' – formerly ''Epiplema''

Genera

This list of genera is preliminary. A complete review of the subfamily seems hardly possible as a monographical work given its diversity, so it will probably be reviewed piecemeal (e.g. Sohn & Yen 2005). Several genera are known (''

Epiplema ''Epiplema'' is a genus of moths in the family Uraniidae described by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer in 1855. A number of species have been reassigned to '' Europlema''. Description Palpi porrect (extending forward), projecting beyond ...

'') or suspected ('' Monobolodes'', '' Phazaca'') not to be

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

, or may be altogether invalid (Sohn & Yen 2005). *'' Acropterygia'' *'' Alaplena'' *'' Anorthodisca'' *'' Antiplecta'' *'' Aoratosema'' *'' Aorista'' *'' Aphyodes'' *'' Arussiana'' *'' Asyngria'' *'' Bicavernosa'' *'' Calledapteryx'' *'' Callizzia'' *'' Capnophylla'' *'' Cathetus_(moth)'' *'' Ceronaba'' *'' Chaetoceras'' *'' Chaetopyga'' *'' Chionoplema'' *'' Chrysocestis'' *'' Chundana'' *'' Cirrhura'' *'' Coelura'' *'' Coeluromima'' *'' Coelurotricha'' *'' Crypsicoela'' *'' Dasmeuda'' *'' Decetiodes'' *'' Dicroplema'' *'' Dysaethria'' *'' Dysrhombia'' *''

'' (

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of converg ...

) *'' Erosia'' *'' Europlema'' *''

Eversmannia ''Eversmannia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae The Faboideae are a subfamily of the flowering plant family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. An acceptable alternative name for the ...

'' *'' Falcinodes'' *'' Gathynia'' *'' Gymnoplocia'' *'' Heteroplema'' *'' Hyperplema'' *'' Hypophysaria'' *'' Hypoplema'' *'' Leuconotha'' *'' Leucoplema'' *'' Lophopygia'' *'' Lophotosoma'' *'' Macrostylodes'' *'' Madepiplema'' *'' Meleaba'' *'' Menda'' *'' Mesoglypta'' *'' Metorthocheilus'' *'' Microniodes'' *'' Molybdophora'' *'' Monobolodes'' – includes ''Cathetus''. Monophyly requires confirmation. *'' Monoplema'' *'' Morphomima'' *'' Nedusia'' *'' Neodeta'' *'' Neodirades'' *'' Neoplema'' *'' Notoptya'' *'' Nyctibadistes'' *'' Oroplema'' *'' Orudiza'' *''

Paloda ''Paloda'' was a literary magazine published in Bârlad, Romania. (Paloda is the old name of the city of Bârlad)Ion N. Oprea - Mari personalităţi ale culturii române într-o istorie a presei bârlădene 1870 – 2008 - Editura P.I.M. Iaşi - 2 ...

'' *'' Paradecetia'' *'' Paradirades'' *'' Paroecia'' *'' Paurophlebs'' *'' Phazaca'' - includes ''Balantiucha'', ''Dirades'', ''Diradopsis'', ''Homoplexis'', ''Lobogethes''. Monophyly requires confirmation. *'' Philagraula'' *'' Platerosia'' *'' Powondrella'' *'' Psamathia'' *'' Pseudhyria'' *'' Pseudodirades'' *'' Pterotosoma'' *'' Rhombophylla'' *'' Saccoploca'' *'' Schidax'' *'' Siculodopsis'' *'' Skaphion'' *'' Symphytophleps'' *'' Syngria'' *'' Syngriodes'' *'' Thysanocraspeda'' *'' Tricolpia'' *'' Trotorhombia'' *'' Warreniplema''

References

* Sohn, Jae-Cheon & Yen, Shen-Horn (2005)
"A Taxonomic Revision of the Korean Epipleminae (Lepidoptera: Uraniidae), with Phylogenetic Comments on the Involved Genera"
''Zoological Studies''. 44(1): 44–70. Uraniidae Pantropical fauna {{Geometroidea-stub