Castniidae, or castniid moths, is a small family 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 with fewer than 200 species: The majority are
Neotropical
The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone.
Definition
In bioge ...
with some in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and a few in
south-east Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
. These are medium-sized to very large moths, usually with drab, cryptically-marked forewings and brightly coloured hindwings. They have clubbed
antennae and are day flying, and are often mistaken for
butterflies
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
. Indeed, some previous classification systems placed this family within the butterflies or
skippers. The Neotropical species are commonly known as giant butterfly-moths, the Australian and Asian species as sun moths. The larvae are internal feeders, often on roots of
epiphytes
An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
or on
monocotyledons
Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, (Lilianae ''sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. They constitute one of t ...
.
[184-188).]
Taxonomy
Subfamily Castniinae
*Tribe Castniini
**''
Amauta
Amauta (meaning "master" or "wise one" in Quechua) was a title for teachers in the Inca empire, especially of children of the nobility.
According to Fray Martin de Murua, a missionary in Peru, education in the Inca empire was instituted in schools ...
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Athis''
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Castnia
''Castnia'' is a genus of moths within the family Castniidae. It was described by Johan Christian Fabricius
Johan Christian Fabricius (7 January 1745 – 3 March 1808) was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time inclu ...
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Castniomera
''Castniomera'' is a monotypic moth genus in the family Castniidae described by Constant Vincent Houlbert in 1918. Its single species, ''Castniomera atymnius'', the giant butterfly-moth, was Species description, first described by Johan Wilhelm Da ...
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Corybantes
According to Greek mythology, the Korybantes or Corybantes (also Corybants) (; grc-gre, Κορύβαντες) were the armed and crested dancers who worshipped the Phrygian goddess Cybele with drumming and dancing. They are also called the ''Ku ...
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Eupalamides''
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Feschaeria''
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Geyeria
''Geyeria'' is a genus 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 1 ...
''
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Haemonides''
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Hista''
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Imara
The Naval Infantry Command ( es, Comando de la Infantería de Marina, COIM), also known as the Naval Infantry of the Navy of the Argentine Republic ( es, Infantería de Marina de la Armada de la República Argentina, IMARA) and generally referred ...
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Insigniocastnia''
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Ircila''
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Lapaeumides''
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Spilopastes''
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Synpalamides''
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Telchin
''Telchin'' is a genus of moths within the family Castniidae.
Species
*''Telchin licus'' (Drury, 1773)
*''Telchin syphax'' (Fabricius, 1775)
''Castniomera atymnius'' is sometimes included in the genus ''Telchin''.
References
Castniidae ...
''
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Xanthocastnia''
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Yagra
Yagra is a village and township in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, not far from the base of the sacred Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; ''Kangrinboqê'' or ''Gang Rinpoche''; Tibetan: གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆ ...
''
*Tribe Gazerini
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Castnius''
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Ceretes
''Ceretes'' is a genus of moths within the family Castniidae. It was described by Schaufuss in 1870.
Species
* '' Ceretes marcelserres'' (Godart, 824
__NOTOC__
Year 824 ( DCCCXXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the fu ...
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Divana''
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Duboisvalia''
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Frostetola''
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Gazera
''Gazera'' is a genus of moths within the family Castniidae. It was described by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer in 1853, and contains the single species ''Gazera heliconioides''. It is known from Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana, and Fre ...
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Mirocastnia''
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Oiticicastnia''
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Paysandisia''
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Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, know ...
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Riechia''
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Tosxampila''
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Zegara
''Zegara'' is a genus of moths within the family Castniidae. It was described by Oiticica in 1955.
Species
* ''Zegara personata'' (Walker, 865
__NOTOC__
Year 865 ( DCCCLXV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Europe
* King Louis the German divides the East Frankish Kingdom among his three sons. C ...
* ''Zegara zagraea'' (Felder, 1874)
References
Castniidae
{{Castniidae-stub ...
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*Tribe Synemonini
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Synemon
''Synemon'' (commonly known as the Sun-moths) is a genus of moths within the family Castniidae. It was described by Edward Doubleday in 1846. The genus contains 24 described and 20 undescribed species. These species are found across mainland Aust ...
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Subfamily Tascininae
*''
Tascina
''Tascina'' is a genus of moths within the Castniidae family. It is found in South East Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geograph ...
''
Subfamily ''
incertae sedis
' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...
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*
†''
Dominickus''
References
*
External links
Natural History Museum Lepidoptera genus listTree of LifeAustralian Moths Online
Moth families
{{Castniidae-stub