Ennominae is the largest

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

geometer moth 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 ''metr ...

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 ...

(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 The peppered moth (''Biston betularia'') is a temperate species of night-flying moth. It is mostly found in the northern hemisphere in places like Asia, Europe and North America. Peppered moth evolution is an example of population genetics an ...

) grow to be considerably large. This subfamily has a global distribution. It includes some species that are notorious defoliating

pests PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...

. The subfamily was first described by

Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel (1774 – 10 January 1846) was a French soldier and entomologist. Life and career Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel was born in 1774 in Valenciennes, Nord, and died on 10 January 1846 in Paris. After studies ...

in 1845. The status of several

tribes The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

is debated.For example, the Boarmiini are sometimes massively expanded to include the

Bistonini The Bistonini are a tribe of geometer moths in subfamily Ennominae. As numerous ennomine genera have not yet been assigned to a tribe, the genus list is preliminary. In addition, the entire tribe is sometimes merged into a much-expanded Boarmiini ...

, Bupalini, Erannini,

Gnophini Gnophini is a tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested ...

, Melanolophini, Phaseliini and Theriini. The

Nacophorini The Nacophorini are one of the smaller tribes of geometer moths in the subfamily Ennominae. They are the most diverse Ennominae of Australia and are widespread in the Americas. If the African genera tentatively placed herein indeed belong here, t ...

and perhaps the Campaeini might need to be merged with the Lithinini, and all three might warrant merging into the

Ennomini __NOTOC__ The Ennomini are a tribe of geometer moths in the Ennominae subfamily. They are large-bodied and rather nondescript Ennominae, overall showing many similarities to the closely related Azelinini and Nacophorini.Young (2008) Most have ...

.The group sometimes separated as Cassymini is tentatively included in the Abraxini here. The

Alsophilinae Alsophilinae is a subfamily of the moth family 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 ''ge ...

, usually treated as a small

in their own right, might simply be a specialized lineage of Boarmiini.

Selected genera

Tribe

Baptini Baptini is a tribe of geometer moths in the subfamily Ennominae. Genera *'' Borbacha'' Moore, 887/small> *'' Bulonga'' Walker, 1859 *'' Crypsicometa'' Warren, 1894 *'' Curbia'' Warren, 1894 *'' Eurychoria'' Prout, 1916 *'' Eurytaphria'' Warren ...

* '' Lomographa'' Tribe Boarmiini * †''

Eogeometer ''Eogeometer'' is a prehistoric genus of Ennomine geometer moths in the tribe Boarmiini. The type and only species is ''Eogeometer vadens'', the specimen of which measured about , and was estimated to be 44 million years old, dating back to E ...

'' (Fischer, Michalski & Hausmann, 2019) Tribe Bupalini * ''

Bupalus Bupalus ( el, Βούπαλος) and Athenis ( el, Ἄθηνις), were sons of Archermus, and members of the celebrated school of sculpture in marble which flourished in Chios in the 6th century BC. They were contemporaries of the poet Hipponax, ...

'' Tribe

Caberini Caberini is a tribe of geometrid moths in the family Geometridae. There are at least 50 described species in Caberini. Taxonomic note: *Molecular analyses by Sihvonen et al. (2011) supports separating the tribe Baptini Baptini is a tribe of ge ...

* '' Cabera'' Tribe Campaeini * ''

Campaea ''Campaea'' is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae first described by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1816. Species Based on Species 2000 and ITIS Catalogue of Life: * '' Campaea adsociaria'' * '' Campaea approximata'' * '' Campaea biseriata'' * ...

'' Tribe Colotoini * '' Colotois'' Tribe Erannini * ''

Erannis ''Erannis'' is a geometer moth genus of the subfamily Ennominae erected by Jacob Hübner in 1825. It is placed by some entomologists in the tribe (biology), tribe Erannini as the type (biology), type genus, but others merge this group into the tr ...

'' Tribe

* '' Charissa'' * ''

Gnophos ''Gnophos'' is a genus in the geometer moth family (Geometridae). A mostly Old World lineage, it is abundant in the Palearctic, with some North American species as well; in Europe six species are recorded. This genus has about 120 known species ...

'' * ''

Hirasa ''Hirasa'' is a geometer moth genus of tribe Gnophini in the subfamily Ennominae. The genus was erected by Frederic Moore in 1888. Species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as ...

'' Tribe Gonodontini * '' Aethiopodes'' (sometimes in ''Odontopera'') * ''

Odontopera ''Odontopera'' is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae described by Stephens in 1831. '' Aethiopodes'' is sometimes also included here. Selected species *'' Odontopera albiguttulata'' Bastelberger, 1909 *''Odontopera bidentata The scall ...

Genera ''incertae sedis''

Numerous

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

have hitherto not been definitely assigned to a

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...

.See references in Savela (2008) These include:

Fossil

In 2019, the first geometrid caterpillar in

Baltic amber The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber or succinite. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that these forests created more than 1 ...

was discovered by German scientists. Described under ''

Eogeometer vadens ''Eogeometer'' is a prehistoric genus of Ennomine geometer moths in the tribe Boarmiini. The type and only species is ''Eogeometer vadens'', the specimen of which measured about , and was estimated to be 44 million years old, dating back to Eoce ...

'', it measured about , and was estimated to be 44 million years old, dating back to

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...

epoch In chronology and periodization, an epoch or reference epoch is an instant in time chosen as the origin of a particular calendar era. The "epoch" serves as a reference point from which time is measured. The moment of epoch is usually decided by ...

. It was described as the earliest evidence for the subfamily of Ennominae, particularly the tribe of Boarmiini.

References

* * *

External links

Moth subfamilies Insect pests of tropical forests Insects of West Africa Moths of Africa {{Ennominae-stub