Geometrinae is the nominate

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). It is strongly

split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...

, containing a considerable number of

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 ...

s of which most are presently very small or

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

. These small moths are often a light bluish green, leading to the common name of emerald moths, though a few species called thus are also found in the tribe Campaeini of the

Ennominae Ennominae is the largest subfamily of the geometer moth family (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) grow to be considerably large. This sub ...

. In 2018, a phylogeny and classification based on a

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 ...

analysis was published in the ''

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society The ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'' is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering zoology published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Linnean Society. The editor-in-chief is Maarten Christenhusz (Linnean Society). ...

'' in which 13 tribes were accepted. There are about 2,300 described

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

, mostly from the

tropics The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

Selected genera and species

Blotched emerald The blotched emerald (''Comibaena bajularia'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is found throughout Europe and the Near East. It has a scattered distribu ...

, ''Comibaena bajularia'' * '' Dysphania'': the genus of 'false tiger moths' of Asia * Large emerald, ''Geometra papilionaria'' *

Essex emerald The Essex emerald (''Thetidia smaragdaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1787 as ''Phalaena smaragdaria''. It is distributed throughout the Palearctic region with records ...

, ''Thetidia smaragdaria''

Genera ''incertae sedis''

Some geometrine

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 not been definitely assigned to a

.See references in Savela (2007) These include: * '' Bathycolpodes'' * '' Bustilloxia'' * '' Chlorodontopera'' * '' Eucrostes'' * '' Kuchleria'' * '' Prosomphax'' * '' Xenochlorodes'' * ''

Xenozancla ''Xenozancla'' is a monotypic moth genus in the family Geometridae. Its only species, ''Xenozancla versicolor'', is found in northern India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of c ...

Footnotes

References

External links

Moth subfamilies {{Geometrinae-stub