Heterocampinae
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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.7930403 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03AA87D8-AF14-256B-05BD-1114FF772CEF |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Heterocampinae |
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Heterocampinae View in CoL View at ENA
The subfamily Heterocampinae is currently the largest subfamily worldwide with 1250 described species for the Neotropical Region, urgently in need of a comprehensive taxonomic revision ( Miller & Thiaucourt 2011). Adults are variable in shape and size ( Figure 4C–F View FIGURE 4 ); however, they can be recognized due to a prothoracic “beard tuft” present from below the head to the procoxae, male antennae usually pectinate, female antennae simple or pectinate, and a proboscis larger than the head but not larger than the thorax ( Miller 1991, Miller et al. 2018).
The character known as the “cteniophore”, a paired comb-like structure found on the fourth abdominal segment, is unique to males of certain Notodontidae groups. This structure is worth special mention because, according to published data so far, it is only present in Heterocampinae in the Neotropics. To date, the function of the “cteniophore” is unknown, and its taxonomic distribution is confusing since it can be present or absent within groups of closely related species and genera ( Miller 1991). We also note that the genera Anurocampa and Lobeza are treated here as belonging to Heterocampinae and are not incertae sedis as previously reported by Becker (2014); ongoing sequencing efforts of Notodontidae have recovered both of these genera in Heterocampinae (St Laurent unpublished).
Larvae exhibit subventral thorax setae in formula 2-1-1 ( Miller et al. 2018) ( Figure 5F–H View FIGURE 5 ). Regarding their known host plants, most of the species are oligophagous, feeding especially on plants within Melastomataceae and Fabaceae ( Table 3 View TABLE 3 ). In Colombia , caterpillars of Schizura sp. have been recorded as pests (defoliators) of the forest species Acacia mangium Willd. It is worth stating that caterpillars of Lusura chera (Drury, 1773) are used as food by indigenous communities in Vaupés ( Gasca-Álvarez & González 2021) during the season of abundance, between August and September. The most common way to collect the caterpillars is by hand when they are found on host plants.
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