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Anthelidae - Typenverzeichnis

On (21a) Anthelidae Anthelidae If one accepts the sister group relationship Anthelidae/Lasiocampidae (MINET 1991), four imaginal autapomorphies can be assigned to the anthelid ground plan: (a) forewing with an oblique fold or cross-bar between R and Rs1. near the apex of the areole; (b) forewing without spinarea; (c) hindwing with base of M2 distinctly closer to M3 than to M1; (d) A1 of male with postspiracularconical projections of tergal origin, Fairly small to very large moths, with broad wings and a stout, or rather stout, body; females occasionally micropterous (most species of Pterolvcera). Male antennae bipectinate to the tip, or sometimes even tripectinate (when the shaft bears a ventral row of fairly long teeth); rami forming lateroventral rows that are never clearly enlarged proximally; shaft densely scaled. Antennae of females either similar to those of males (though with shorter rami) or quite different (unipectinate, dentate or nearly filiform). Compound eyes rarely with conspicuous interommatidial setae (but present in, e. g., Chelepteryx chalepteryx). Distinct ocelli and chaetosemata absent. Pilifer bristles well developed in Munychryia. reduced to absent in other genera. Proboscis absent or very short. except in Munychryia, where it is long, unscaled. and has carinate sensilla. Maxillary palpi vestigial. Labial palpi fairly long to very short, either ascending, porrect or drooping (usually longer in male than in female); Segment l without chaetosema-like organ. Ventral process of tegula ending in a rather sharp point. Tibiae usually with several spines (absent in Munychryia); epiphysis present in males, reduced or absent in females; tibial spurs: 0-2-4, 0-2-3 or 0-2-2. Tarsi distinctly spined. Arolium present; pulvilli with a dorsal lobe (or - instead - fairly long setiform outgrowths); claws simple (i. e. without a ventral, medial tooth). Wing-coupling retinaculo-frenate in the male, amplexiform in the female (preserving only the base of the frenulum). Spinarea absent. Forewing venation (Fig. 18.IC): usually with a long areole from which arise the distal sections of Rsl, Rs2, Rs3 and Rs4 (in Gephyroneura, this areole is small because Rs1 + Rs2 and Rs3 + Rs4 are coalescent proximally); near apex of areole, extra cross-bars often present (one between Rs1 and Rs2, a second — usually incomplete or replaced by a fold - between R and Rs1); M2 closer to M3 than to M1; M3, CuA1and CuA2 distinctly separate; no tubular CuP, l A + 2 A with basal fork. Hindwing: subcosta connected to discal cell upper edge by a crossvein (R) that is sometimes very short or extremely thin; Rs and M1 often short-stalked; M2 arising closer to M3 than to M1, no tubular CuP; 3 A present. Abdomen: lateral bars of dorsum 1 with posterolateral extensions which, in the male, end in conical projections caudad of A1 spiracles, sternum 2 free from terga, with short anterior apodemes; no well developed venulae; male sternum 8 plate-like, although sometimes reduced and often only lightly sclerotized. Male genitalia: tegumen and vinculum synscleritous; valvae rather well developed; gnathos either present (Chelepteryx), reduced or entirely absent; uncus either simple, truncate or bilobed; phallus usually with anterior coecum. Female genitalia: bursa copulatrix never very large; signum sometimes present; ostium bursae lying in the anterior or median area of venter 8: apophyses short to moderately long: papillae anales either small (Munychryia) or well developed. The adults are nocturnal, except for the day-flying males of Anthela connexa. In general, females are more sedentary than males. As far as is known, the larvae never have gregarious habits. Many of them are urticating. The family was erected by TURNER (1920), and revised by him in 1921. It was long regarded as a subfamily within the Lymantriidae, and even when considered an independent family (e. g. by HULSTAERT 1928), Anthelidae were often thought to be closely related to Lymantriidae. COMMON (1970) first clearly recognized the bombycoid (s. l.) affinities of Anthelidae. The family includes about 75 described species in 8 genera and 2 subfamilies (COMMON & McFARLAND 1970). (from KRISTENSEN, Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies, volume 1 in FISCHER, M., Handbook of Zoology, volume 4). The leading specialist on this family - see Dr. Andreas ZWICK Currently the collection comprises two boxes.