Dioptinae
James S. Miller and Andrew V. Z. Brower
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close boxIntroduction
The Dioptinae are an almost exclusively neotropical group of day-flying moths, many of which exhibit bright wing coloration and are involved in mimicry rings with butterflies (especially Ithomiini), sterrhine Geometridae and various arctiids. The two specimens illustrated above are representatives of the type species of Dioptis and Josia, the type genera of the two tribes indicated here.
Characteristics
Small, delicate, mostly day-flying Notodontidae which are frequently confused with similarly marked Arctiidae and Geometridae. Miller (2009) points out that the easiest means to distinguish a dioptine is by (1) presence of a metathoracic tympanum, which separates it from Geometridae, whose tympana occur on the first abdominal segment; and (2) a trifid forewing venation, as opposed to quadrifid venation in Arctiidae.References
Although numerous authors have described individual species of Dioptinae, the list of works cited below includes historical and modern efforts to revise the entire group. The classification presented here and in subordinate branches is based on the most recent of these (Miller, 2009).
Bryk, F. 1930. Dioptidae. In: E. Strand (ed.) Lepidopterorum Catalogus 42: 1-65. Berlin, W. Junk.
Hering, EM. 1925. Dioptidae. In: A. Seitz (ed.) Macrolepidoptera of the World. 6:501-534. Stuttgart, Alfred Kernen.
Miller, JS. 2009. Generic revision of the Dioptinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea: Notodontidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 321, 1-971 + 48 plates.
Prout, LB. 1918. A provisional arrangement of the Dioptidae. Novitates Zoologicae 25: 395-429.
Title Illustrations
| Scientific Name | Dioptis cyma |
|---|---|
| Location | Brazil: Pará, Belem |
| Reference | Miller JS. 2009. Generic revision of the Dioptinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea: Notodontidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 321, 1-971 + 48 plates. (Plate 21) |
| Specimen Condition | Dead Specimen |
| Identified By | James S. Miller |
| Sex | Male |
| Life Cycle Stage | adult |
| View | dorsal |
| Collection | PMNH |
| Collector | Jorge Kesselring |
| Image Use |
 This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License - Version 3.0.
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| Copyright |
© 2009
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| Scientific Name | Josia ligula |
|---|---|
| Location | Brazil: Rondônia, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 200 m |
| Reference | Miller JS. 2009. Generic revision of the Dioptinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea: Notodontidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 321, 1-971 + 48 plates. (Plate 32) |
| Specimen Condition | Dead Specimen |
| Identified By | James S. Miller |
| Sex | Male |
| Life Cycle Stage | adult |
| View | dorsal |
| Collection | AMNH |
| Collector | André Sourakov |
| Image Use |
This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License - Version 3.0.
|
| Copyright |
© 2009
|
About This Page
Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA
Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to James S. Miller at and Andrew V. Z. Brower at
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Page: Tree of Life
Dioptinae .
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- First online 12 August 2009
- Content changed 21 June 2010
Citing this page:
Miller, James S. and Andrew V. Z. Brower. 2010. Dioptinae . Version 21 June 2010 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Dioptinae/138571/2010.06.21 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
