Nystaleinae, Forbes, 1948
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5284.3.1 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E2E21C6F-AB20-45E0-B058-1D75ABBD7219 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7930405 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03AA87D8-AF13-256B-05BD-1565FE502BCB |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Nystaleinae |
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Nystaleinae View in CoL View at ENA
The Nystaleinae , a subfamily nearly restricted to the Neotropical Region, is represented by 350 species ( Weller 1992, Miller & Thiaucourt 2011) ( Figure 4 View FIGURE 4 G-J). Adults can be recognized due to a set of long scales on the prothorax, from the base of the antennae to the lateral part of the prothorax, near the spiracle ( Miller et al. 2018). Although Weller (1992) reviewed the subfamily, all genera need a thorough taxonomic revision ( Miller & Thiaucourt 2011); though Becker has studied some Brazilian taxa like Nycterotis Felder, 1874 ( Becker 2020) , Bardaxima Walker, 1858 ( Becker 2021b) , and Xylodonta Becker, 2014 ( Becker 2021d) . In the visited collections, 83 specimens belonging to the Nystaleinae subfamily were found, the majority belonging to Nystalea Guenée, 1852 which was expected, since this is the most diverse genus of the subfamily.
This group is diverse in lowland forests, displaying remarkable genitalia characters such as the saccular scent organ and the callosum. The first is a membranous and pleated sacculus and the latter is a specialized aluta enclosing the basiphallus, unique to Nystaleinae ( Weller 1990, 1992).
The larval cuticle is often glossy ( Figure 5 View FIGURE 5 I-J) and known host plants for the subfamily show oligophagous species feeding on specific plant families, with few exceptions to this rule ( Table 3 View TABLE 3 ). Host plant families include Malpighiaceae (rich in secondary metabolites: alkaloids and flavonoids) ( Abbas et al. 2022), Fabaceae (used by humans as crops, green manures, and forage) ( Ahmad et al. 2016), Clusiaceae (widely used in ethnomedicine) ( de Melo et al. 2014), Anacardiaceae (trees, shrubs, and lianas frequently with contact dermatitis-causing exudate) (Pell et al. 2010), among others.
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