Thaumetopoeinae is 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 ...

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

Notodontidae Notodontidae is a family of moths with approximately 3,800 known species. The family was described by James Francis Stephens in 1829. Moths of this family are found in all parts of the world, but they are most concentrated in tropical areas, espe ...

. This group is sometimes treated as a

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 ...

Thaumetopoeidae with three subfamilies: Thaumetopoeinae, Anaphinae and Epicominae. However, it is now commonly treated at subfamily rank based on morphological and

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

evidence. The etymology of the subfamily name derives from the two

ancient greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

words (), ''marvelous'', and (), ''to do'', and literally means ''showing beautiful things''. This explains why the name is sometimes spelled Thaumatopoeinae, incorrectly from the taxonomic standpoint, but in accordance with etymology. The larval stage of some Thaumetopoeinae are known as processionary caterpillars, so named because they move in columns in search of food, resembling a

procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

. Some of the species, like the

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...

and

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

processionaries, can constitute a health hazard due to their

urticating hair Urticating hairs or urticating bristles are one of the primary defense mechanisms used by numerous plants, almost all New World tarantulas, and various lepidopteran caterpillars. ''Urtica'' is Latin for "nettle" (stinging nettles are in the genu ...

Genera and some species

*'' Aglaosoma'' **''

Aglaosoma variegata ''Aglaosoma variegata'', the patterned notodontid, is a species of moth of the family Notodontidae first described by Francis Walker in 1855. It is known from the Australian states of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Adults have fore ...

'' *'' Axiocleta'' *'' Cynosarga'' *''

Epicoma ''Epicoma'' is a genus of prominent moths in the family Notodontidae. There are more than 20 described species in ''Epicoma'', found mainly in Australia. Species These 25 species belong to the genus ''Epicoma'': * '' Epicoma anisozyga'' Turner ...

'' **''

Epicoma contristis ''Epicoma contristis'', the yellow-spotted epicoma, is a moth of the family Notodontidae first described by Jacob Hübner in 1823. It is known from Australia, including Tasmania, New South Wales and Victoria. The forewings are dark brown speck ...

'' **'' Epicoma melanospila'' **''

Epicoma melanosticta ''Epicoma melanosticta'' is a moth of the family Notodontidae first described by Edward Donovan in 1805. It is found in Australia, including Tasmania. The wingspan is about 30 mm. The larvae feed on '' Calothamnus validus'', '' Calotha ...

'' **''

Epicoma tristis ''Epicoma tristis'', the dark epicoma, is a moth of the family Notodontidae first described by Edward Donovan in 1805. It is found in Australia. The larvae feed on ''Eucalyptus'', ''Leptospermum'' and ''Kunzea ''Kunzea'' is a genus of pla ...

'' *'' Mesodrepta'' *''

Ochrogaster ''Ochrogaster lunifer'', the bag-shelter moth or processionary caterpillar, is a member of the family Notodontidae. The species was first described by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer in 1855. Both the larval and adult forms have hairs ...

'' *'' Tanystola'' *''

Thaumetopoea ''Thaumetopoea'' is a genus of moths belonging to the family Notodontidae. It was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1820. In their caterpillar form, they bear the vernacular name of processionary because their gregarious larvae conspicuously ...

'' *'' Trichiocercus'' **''

Trichiocercus sparshalli ''Trichiocercus sparshalli'', the long-tailed bombyx or Sparshall's moth, is a moth of the family Notodontidae. It was first described by John Curtis in 1830 and it is found in Australia. The wingspan is about 40 mm. The larvae feed on '' ...

References

Thaumetopoeinae Notodontidae {{Notodontidae-stub

Genera and some species

See also

References