The Herminiinae are a subfamily of

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

s in the family

Erebidae The Erebidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Noctuoidea. The family is among the largest families of moths by species count and contains a wide variety of well-known macromoth groups. The family includes the underwings ('' Catocala'') ...

. The members of the subfamily are called litter moths because the caterpillars of most members feed on dead leaves of plants, though others feed on living leaves, and/or the mushrooms of fungi as in the case of genus Idia (moth).

Taxonomy

The subfamily was previous treated as a separate family, Herminiidae, or as a subfamily of the family Noctuidae.

Phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

analysis has determined that the Herminiinae are most closely related to the subfamily

Aganainae The Aganainae are a small subfamily of moths in the family Erebidae. The adults and caterpillars of this subfamily are typically large and brightly colored, like the related tiger moths. Many of the caterpillars feed on poisonous host plants an ...

of the Erebidae. Drosera

Genera

*'' Aristaria'' *''

Bleptina ''Bleptina'' is a genus of litter moths of the family Erebidae. It was erected by Achille Guenée in 1854. Description Palpi with second joint reaching far above vertex of head. Third joint long with a tuft of hair on inner side. Antennae fascicu ...

'' *''

Carteris ''Carteris'' is a genus of litter moths of the family Erebidae The Erebidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Noctuoidea. The family is among the largest families of moths by species count and contains a wide variety of well-known m ...

'' *''

Chytolita ''Chytolita'' is a monotypic litter moth genus of the family Erebidae erected by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1873. Its only species, ''Chytolita morbidalis'', the morbid owlet moth or morbid owlet, was first described by Achille Guenée in 1854 ...

'' *'' Drepanopalpia'' *''

Herminia ''Herminia'' is a genus of litter moths of the family Erebidae. The genus was described by Pierre André Latreille in 1802. It was treated as a synonym for ''Polypogon'' for some time. Species * '' Herminia grisealis'' Denis & Schiffermüller, ...

'' *'' Hydrillodes'' *''

Hypenula ''Hypenula'' is a genus of litter moths of the family Erebidae. The genus was erected by Augustus Radcliffe Grote Augustus Radcliffe Grote (February 7, 1841 – September 12, 1903) was a British entomologist who described over 1,000 species o ...

'' *''

Idia Idia was the mother of Esigie, who reigned as Oba (king) of the Edo people from 1504 to 1550 Historians do know that Idia was alive during the Idah war (1515-1516) because she played a role that led to a great Benin victory. It has been arg ...

'' *''

Lascoria ''Lascoria'' is a genus of litter moths of the family Erebidae The Erebidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Noctuoidea. The family is among the largest families of moths by species count and contains a wide variety of well-known ...

'' *''

Macristis ''Macristis'' is a genus of litter moths of the family Erebidae The Erebidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Noctuoidea. The family is among the largest families of moths by species count and contains a wide variety of well-known ...

'' *'' Macrochilo'' *''

Nodaria ''Nodaria'' is a genus of moths in the family Erebidae described by Achille Guenée Achille Guenée (sometimes M.A. Guenée; 1 January 1809 – 30 December 1880) was a French lawyer and entomologist. Biography Achille Guenée was born in Chart ...

'' *''

Orectis ''Orectis'' is a genus of litter moth The Herminiinae are a subfamily of moths in the family Erebidae. The members of the subfamily are called litter moths because the caterpillars of most members feed on dead leaves of plants, though others f ...

'' *''

Palthis ''Palthis'' is a genus of litter moths of the family Erebidae. The genus was erected by Jacob Hübner in 1825. Species *'' Palthis aeacalis'' Schaus, 1913 *''Palthis agroteralis'' (Guenée, 1854) *''Palthis angulalis'' (Hübner, 1796) – d ...

'' *''

Paracolax ''Paracolax'' is a genus of litter moth The Herminiinae are a subfamily of moths in the family Erebidae. The members of the subfamily are called litter moths because the caterpillars of most members feed on dead leaves of plants, though others ...

'' *''

Phalaenophana ''Phalaenophana'' is a genus of litter moths of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1873. Species *'' Phalaenophana eudorealis'' (Guenée, 1854) *'' Phalaenophana extremalis'' (Barnes & McDunnoug ...

'' *''

Phalaenostola ''Phalaenostola'' is a genus of litter moths of the family Erebidae. The genus was erected by Augustus Radcliffe Grote Augustus Radcliffe Grote (February 7, 1841 – September 12, 1903) was a British entomologist who described over 1,000 spe ...

'' *''

Phlyctaina ''Phlyctaina'' is a monotypic litter moth genus of the family Erebidae. Its only species, ''Phlyctaina irrigualis'', is found in North America. Both the genus and species were first described by Heinrich Benno Möschler in 1890. The MONA or Hodg ...

'' *''

Physula ''Physula'' is a genus of litter moth The Herminiinae are a subfamily of moths in the family Erebidae. The members of the subfamily are called litter moths because the caterpillars of most members feed on dead leaves of plants, though others f ...

'' *''

Polypogon ''Polypogon'' is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, commonly known beard grass or rabbitsfoot grass. Description ''Polypogon'' species vary in appearance; some are erect, while others drape over the ground in waves. ...

'' *''

Reabotis ''Idia'' is a genus of litter moths of the family Erebidae first described by Jacob Hübner in 1813. Description Palpi sickle shaped and slender, where the second joint reaching above vertex of head. Thorax and abdomen smoothly scaled. Tibia h ...

'' *''

Redectis Redectis is a genus 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 f ...

'' *'' Rejectaria'' *'' Renia'' *'' Simplicia'' *'' Tetanolita'' *'' Zanclognatha''

Example species

File:Bleptina caradrinalis.jpg, '' Bleptina caradrinalis'' File:Cmorbidalis.jpg, '' Chytolita morbidalis'' File:Herminia grisealis (14423921563).jpg, ''

Herminia grisealis ''Herminia grisealis'', the small fan-foot, is a litter moth of the family Erebidae. It is found in Europe. The eastern expansion is across the Palearctic to the Ussuri River and after that Japan. In the Alps it rises up to a height of 1300 me ...

'' File:Idia americalis1.jpg, '' Idia americalis'' File:Palthis angulalis (14615927802).jpg, '' Palthis angulalis'' File:Dark-banded Owlet 6.2.6279.f07..w.wiki.jpg, '' Phalaenophana pyramusalis'' File:Polypogon tentacularius1.jpg, '' Polypogon tentacularius'' File:Renia discoloralis2.jpg, '' Renia discoloralis'' File:Zanclognatha protumnusalis (14099257098).jpg, '' Zanclognatha protumnusalis''

References

External links

Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms:
Herminiinae. Version of 2003-MAR-28. Retrieved 2007-JUN-03. Moth subfamilies {{Herminiinae-stub