The Erebinae are a subfamily of moths in the family Erebidae erected by

William Elford Leach William Elford Leach FRS (2 February 1791 – 25 August 1836) was an English zoologist and marine biologist. Life and work Elford Leach was born at Hoe Gate, Plymouth, the son of an attorney. At the age of twelve he began a medical appre ...

in 1815. Erebine moths are found on all continents except Antarctica, but reach their greatest diversity in the tropics. While the exact number of species belonging to the Erebinae is not known, the subfamily is estimated to include around 10,000 species. Some well-known Erebinae include underwing moths ('' Catocala'') and witch moths ( Thermesiini). Many of the species in the subfamily have medium to large wingspans (7 to 10 cm, 3 to 4 inches), up to nearly 30 cm in the white witch moth ('' Thysania agrippina''), which has the widest wingspan of all Lepidoptera. Erebine caterpillars feed on a broad range of plants; many species feed on

grasses Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns ...

and legumes, and a few are pests of

castor bean ''Ricinus communis'', the castor bean or castor oil plant, is a species of perennial flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus, ''Ricinus'', and subtribe, Ricininae. The evolution of ...

, sugarcane,

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

, as well as pistachios and

blackberries The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family (biology), family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus' ...

Morphology

Erebine moths possess a number of adaptations for predator defense. Most Erebinae, such as '' Zale'' have mottled, drably colored hindwings to better blend in with grass and tree trunks. In some Erebinae, such as '' Catocala'', cryptically colored forewings conceal brightly colored hindwings which are suddenly revealed when the moth is disturbed from rest. The sudden exposure of these bright colors is thought to startle vertebrate predators, giving the moths extra time to escape. Like other

Noctuoidea Noctuoidea is the superfamily of noctuid (Latin "night owl") or "owlet" moths, and has more than 70,000 described species, the largest number of for any Lepidopteran superfamily. Its classification has not yet reached a satisfactory or stable st ...

, erebine moths can detect the calls of echolocating bats or other approaching predators using hearing organs ( tympana), which are among the most sensitive in the superfamily.

Taxonomy

Prior to recent phylogenetic studies on the superfamily

, most Erebinae were classified within the

noctuid The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly changing, along with the other f ...

subfamily Catocalinae, on the basis of a classification proposed 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 ...

at the start of the 20th century. Based on mounting evidence from molecular phylogenetic studies, Michael Fibiger and J. Donald Lafontaine transferred Erebinae and relatives from the Noctuidae to the Erebidae, and reinstated Erebinae as a subfamily. Later, Catocalinae was synonymized with Erebinae in the classifications proposed by Lafontaine and Christian Schmidt and Zahiri et al. A historical summary of the systematics of this group is provided by Jeremy Daniel Holloway, and a more detailed review of Erebinae taxonomy can be found in Nicholas T. Homziak et al. The most recent study by Zahriri et al. forms the basis for the current definition of the Erebinae. On the basis of consistent molecular support, Zahiri et al. identified several potential morphological synapomorphies for the subfamily:

proboscis A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In invertebrates, the term usually refers to tubular mouthparts used for feeding and sucking. In vertebrates, a proboscis is an elong ...

with smooth

apex The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe * Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe *Apex, ...

and sensilla styloconica

dorsally Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...

, modified seventh abdominal sternite in the female, divided in to two lobes surrounding the ostium bursae (female

copulatory Sexual intercourse (or coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion and thrusting of the penis into the vagina for sexual pleasure or reproduction.Sexual intercourse most commonly means penile–vaginal penetra ...

opening). In the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e, dorsolateral

tubercle In anatomy, a tubercle (literally 'small tuber', Latin for 'lump') is any round nodule, small eminence, or warty outgrowth found on external or internal organs of a plant or an animal. In plants A tubercle is generally a wart-like projection ...

s on segment A8, and

pupa A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in thei ...

e often with waxy bloom. Within the Erebinae, Zahiri et al. recognized the following 19 tribes:

Tribes

Acantholipini The Acantholipini are a tribe of moths in the family Erebidae. Genera *''Acantholipes ''Acantholipes'' is a genus of moths in the family Erebidae erected by Julius Lederer in 1857. Description Palpi obliquely upturned, where the second j ...

* Audeini * Catephiini * Catocalini * Cocytiini *

Ercheiini The Ercheiini are a tribe of moths in the family Erebidae. Taxonomy The tribe may be most closely related to the tribe Hulodini, also within the Erebinae The Erebinae are a subfamily of moths in the family Erebidae erected by William Elford ...

Erebini The Erebini are a tribe of moths in the family Erebidae. Genera *''Erebus In Greek mythology, Erebus (; grc, Ἔρεβος, Érebos, "deep darkness, shadow".), or Erebos, is the personification of darkness and one of the primordial deiti ...

Euclidiini The Euclidiini are a tribe (biology), tribe of moths in the family Erebidae. The tribe was erected by Achille Guenée in 1852. Genera *''Caenurgia'' *''Caenurgina'' *''Callistege'' *''Celiptera'' *''Doryodes'' *''Euclidia'' *''Leucomelas'' *''M ...

Hulodini The Hulodini are a tribe of moths in the family Erebidae. Taxonomy The tribe may be most closely related to the tribe Ercheiini, also within the Erebinae. Genera *'' Ericeia'' *'' Hulodes'' *'' Lacera'' *''Speiredonia ''Speiredonia'' is a ...

* Hypopyrini * Melipotini * Ommatophorini *

Omopterini The Omopterini are a tribe of moths in the family Erebidae. Taxonomy The tribe was split from the tribe Ophiusini (also in the subfamily Erebinae) after phylogenetic analysis showed that the New World The term ''New World'' is often used t ...

Ophiusini The Ophiusini are a tribe (biology), tribe of moths in the family Erebidae. Taxonomy The tribe is one of the most successful of the major Evolutionary radiation, radiations of the subfamily Erebinae. The tribe was previously classified as the s ...

* Pandesmini *

Pericymini The Pericymini are a tribe of moths in the family Erebidae. Genera *'' Pericyma'' *''Zethes The Boreads ( grc, Βορεάδαι, Boreádai) are the "wind brothers" in Greek mythology. They consist of Zetes (also Zethes) ( grc, Ζήτης) and ...

* Poaphilini *

Sypnini The Sypnini are a tribe of moths 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 macromot ...

* Thermesiini *''

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, uncertain ...

'' File:Pl.6-15-Ugia transversa (Moore, 1882) (Iluza).JPG,

: '' Ugia transversa'' File:Audea hypostigmata.JPG, Audeini: '' Audea hypostigmata'' File:Catephia alchymista.jpg, Catephiini: '' Catephia alchymista'' File:Catocala chelidonia uniforma.JPG, Catocalini: '' Catocala chelidonia'' File:Cocytia Durvillei.jpg, Cocytiini: '' Cocytia durvillii'' File:Ercheia multilinea.jpg,

: '' Ercheia multilinea'' File:Erebus Macrops.jpg,

: '' Erebus macrops'' File:Callistege.mi.2040.jpg,

: '' Callistege mi'' File:Hulodes caranea (Noctuidae Catocalinae).jpg,

: '' Hulodes caranea'' File:Hypopyra capensis (13890401290).jpg, Hypopyrini: '' Hypopyra capensis'' File:- 8591 – Phoberia atomaris – Common Oak Moth (17082063132).jpg, Melipotini: '' Phoberia atomaris'' File:瞳夜蛾 Ommatophora luminosa (Cramer,1780) (10239537663).jpg, Ommatophorini: '' Ommatophora luminosa'' File:Zale lunata – Lunate Zale Moth (14659256598).jpg,

: '' Zale lunata'' File:Ophiusa discriminans female dorsal.jpg,

: '' Ophiusa discriminans'' File:Pandesma submurina dorsal.jpg, Pandesmini: '' Pandesma submurina'' File:Pericyma_mendax_(Walker,_1858).jpg,

: '' Pericyma mendax'' File:Dysgonia algira.jpg, Poaphilini: '' Dysgonia algira'' File:Pterocyclophora huntei - Leyte - Philippines - 06-2010 (8372567909).jpg,

: '' Pterocyclophora huntei'' File:Flickr - ggallice - Thysania zenobia d.jpg, Thermesiini: '' Thysania zenobia'' Genera with tribe not available: * ''

Honeyia ''Honeyia'' is a genus of moths of the family Erebidae. The genus was erected by Hermann Heinrich Hacker and Michael Fibiger in 2007. Species *''Honeyia burmeisteri'' Hacker & Fibiger, 2007 *''Honeyia clearchus'' (Fawcett, 1916) *''Honeyia dia ...

References

Fauna Europaea Fauna Europaea is a database of the scientific names and distribution of all living multicellular Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight o ...

(2011)
Erebinae
Version 2.4, 27 January 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2011. * {{Taxonbar, from=Q15734243 Moth subfamilies