Euclastini is a

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

of the

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 botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

Pyraustinae Pyraustinae is a large subfamily of the lepidopteran family Crambidae, the crambid snout moths. It currently includes about 1,280 species Most of them tropical but some found in temperate regions including both North America and Europe. The Pyra ...

in the moth

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Crambidae Crambidae comprises the grass moth family of lepidopterans. They are variable in appearance, with the nominal subfamily Crambinae (grass moths) taking up closely folded postures on grass stems where they are inconspicuous, while other subfamilies ...

. The

taxon In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; : taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular name and ...

was initially erected by Popescu-Gorj & Constantinescu in 1977 for the genus '' Euclasta''.

Description

Adult Euclastini are

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

s with narrow wings folded over the body in resting position, with the front of the body raised up by long, slender legs while the tip of the

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

is held close to the ground. In this, they resemble moths of the genus ''

Lineodes ''Lineodes'' is a genus of snout moths of the subfamily Spilomelinae in the family Crambidae. The genus was described by Achille Guenée in 1854, with '' Lineodes hieroglyphalis'' as the type species. The genus is mostly Neotropical and southern ...

''. The tribe is characterised by a number of

synapomorphies In phylogenetics, an apomorphy (or derived trait) is a novel character or character state that has evolved from its ancestral form (or plesiomorphy). A synapomorphy is an apomorphy shared by two or more taxa and is therefore hypothesized to ...

, particularly in the morphology of the genitalia. The male genitalia feature a bulbous uncus head bearing multisetose

seta In biology, setae (; seta ; ) are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Depending partly on their form and function, protostome setae may be called macrotrichia, chaetae, ...

e (in ''Euclasta'') or simple and tune fork-shaped setae (in ''Afreuclasta''); the valvae are trapezoid or elongate tongue-shaped and lack a fibula. In the female genitalia, a membranous appendix bursae is emerging from the

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

end of the ductus bursae, close to where it transitions into the corpus bursae; the

sclerotised Sclerotin is a component of the cuticle of various Arthropoda, most familiarly insects. It is formed by cross-linking members of particular classes of protein molecules, a biochemical process called sclerotization, a form of tanning in which q ...

signum in the corpus bursae has the shape of puckered lips (in ''Euclasta'') or of a rhomboid (in ''Afreuclasta''). Life stages of Euclastini other than the adult stage are poorly studied, and information is published only for a few species, such as ''

Euclasta whalleyi ''Euclasta gigantalis'' is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. The female has a wingspan of 45mm. Distribution It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, La Réunion and Madagascar. In 1988 this moth was also released in Australia for biological co ...

''.

Food plants

The

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...

s of Euclastini feed on plants of the

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (, from '' Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Notable mem ...

family. This host specificity has been used for the control of rubber vine, ''

Cryptostegia grandiflora ''Cryptostegia grandiflora'', commonly known as rubber vine, is a woody-perennial vine that is native to south-west Madagascar. It is also a significant weed in northern Australia, sometimes regarded as the worst weed in all of Australia. It has ...

'', an

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

of plant in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Distribution

Euclastini, as currently understood, are found in the

Afrotropical The Afrotropical realm is one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Sub-Saharan Africa, the southern Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly known as the Ethiopi ...

Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. Th ...

Indomalayan The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms. It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia. Also called the Oriental realm by biogeographers, Indomalaya spreads all over the Ind ...

and

Australasian realm The Australasian realm is one of eight biogeographic realms that is coincident with, but not (by some definitions) the same as, the geographical region of Australasia. The realm includes Australia, the island of New Guinea (comprising Papua Ne ...

s, but are absent from the

New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

, consisting of the

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 biogeogra ...

and

Nearctic realm The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America t ...

Systematics

The tribe was originally proposed as subfamily Euclastinae in 1977 by Popescu-Gorj & Constantinescu, but was later considered a synonym of Pyraustinae. In a

phylogenetic analysis In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical data ...

of Pyraustinae and

Spilomelinae Spilomelinae is a very species-rich subfamily of the lepidopteran family Crambidae, the crambid snout moths. With 4,180 described species in 351 genera worldwide, it is the most speciose group among pyraloidea, pyraloids. Description Imagines ...

, ''Euclasta'' was found to be sister to all remaining Pyraustinae (except for ''

Tetridia ''Tetridia'' is a monotypic moth genus of the family Crambidae described by William Warren in 1890. Its single species, ''Tetridia caletoralis'', was described by Francis Walker in 1859. It is found in China, northern India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, ...

''), and thus the taxon was reinstated on the level of tribe as 'Euclastini'. Some morphological characters of Euclastini are shared with other taxa, potentially indicating a common evolutionary origin. The shape of the valvae in the male genitalia of ''Euclasta'' is similar to that found in ''

Chilopionea ''Chilopionea'' is a genus of moths of the family Crambidae. It contains only one species, ''Chilopionea postcuneifera'', which is found in Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in ...

'' and some species of '' Chilochroma''. In the female genitalia, the characteristic shape of ‘puckered lips’ of the signum in ''Euclasta'' is shared with ''Tetridia''. The origin of the appendix bursae at the anterior end of the ductus bursae appears to be a

synapomorphy In phylogenetics, an apomorphy (or derived trait) is a novel Phenotypic trait, character or character state that has evolution, evolved from its ancestral form (or Plesiomorphy and symplesiomorphy, plesiomorphy). A synapomorphy is an apomorphy sh ...

shared with

Portentomorphini Portentomorphini is a tribe of the subfamily Pyraustinae in the pyraloid moth family Crambidae. The tribe was initially erected by Hans Georg Amsel in 1956. Description Adult Portentomorphini are relatively small moths with a forewing le ...

and ''Tetridia''. Several other genera have been postulated as potentially closely associated with Euclastini, such as '' Paschiodes'' and '' Duzulla'', as well as '' Saucrobotys''. Euclastini currently comprises 18 species in two genera: *'' Afreuclasta'' Maes, 2023 (one species: '' A. ruwenzoriensis'' Maes, 2023) *'' Euclasta'' Lederer, 1855 (synonyms ''Illurgia''

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People *Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) *Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California * ...

, 1859, ''Proteuclasta''

Munroe Munroe is a derivation of the Scottish surname Munro (surname), Munro, and may refer to: In politics * Allen Munroe (1819–1884), New York politician * Daniel Munroe Forney, Congressional Representative from North Carolina * George H. Munroe (18 ...

, 1958; 17 species)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q131754375 Pyraustinae Moth tribes