Lithosiini, Billberg, 1820

Singh, Navneet, Joshi, Rahul, Kirti, Jagbir Singh, Bisht, Santosh Singh & Param, Harsimranjeet Singh, 2021, A catalogue of Indian Arctiinae (Erebidae, Lepidoptera), Zootaxa 5058 (1), pp. 1-118 : 13

Lithosiini

Diagnostic characters: The Lithosiini moths are commonly called as lichen moths, because some are specialized in feeding on lichens. Adults are with rather narrow forewings and deep hindwings that may equal or exceed them in area. The monophyly of the Lithosiini is supported by larval mandibles with an enlarged, basal molar area associated with the specialized diet of lower plants; there is a characteristic arrangement of the larval labral setae; the eggs are smooth with shallow depressions, rather than sculpted with networks of ridges (Kitching & Rawling in Kristensen 1999, Holloway et al. 2001).

Diversity and distribution: Indian Lithosiini comprise 419 species and five subspecies under 128 genera. Of the 128 genera reported from India, 67 genera are represented by single species, 58 genera by two to 20 species and three genera, Barsine , Cyana , and Miltochrista are known by 21, 42, and 54 species respectively ( Fig.6 ). In India, Lithosiini is most diverse in North-East India followed by Central Himalaya, East Himalaya, and West & North- West Himalaya. Only one species is reported from Desert and no Lithosiini are recorded from Trans-Himalaya ( Fig. 7 ).

Food plants: The larval diet is frequently algae and lichens, occasionally bryophytes, these being grazed on the surface of leaves, branches, tree trunks etc. that may lead to these higher plants being recorded erroneously as hosts. The cocoon can be dense or very large, net-like, incorporating larval setae ( Bendib & Minet 1999 [2000]).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Species diversity of Indian Lithosiini genera

FIGURE 7. Distribution of Lithosiini within the biogeographic zones/ subzones of India and among the records like ‘throughout India’, ‘North India’, and ‘India’