Geometridae

Belongs within: Geometroidea.
Contains: Eupithecia, Oenochrominae, Acidalianae, Geometrinae, Ennominae, Sterrhinae, Xanthorhoe.

The Geometridae are a highly diverse group of moths. Their larvae are commonly known as loopers due to their characteristic looping mode of movement resulting from a reduction in the number of prolegs. Adults are commonly cryptically coloured with mottled grey or brown colours. Flight is relatively weak and wings are often laid horizontally at rest (Richards & Davies 1977).

Most geometrids are nocturnal though members of the subfamily Archiearinae and many Larentiinae are day-flying. Archiearinae have cryptic fore wings but brightly coloured hind wings. The Larentiinae have strongly marked fore wings with wavy, transverse lines and fasciae that tend to meet the dorsum at right angles in the fore wings. Nocturnal geometrids spend the day with wings pressed to the bark of trees, relying on the camouflage of their colour schemes for protection (Nielsen & Common 1991).

Characters (from Nielsen & Common 1991): Small to large; head usually smooth scaled; ocelli usually absent; chaetosemata present; antennae simple or pectinate; proboscis present, unscaled; maxillary palps very small, upturned or porrect; epiphysis present; spurs usually 0-2-4; male hind tibiae sometimes modified; wings broad, sometimes reduced in females, fore wing often triangular, discal cell rarely to beyond midlength, often with one or two areoles; fore wing with Sc close to or partly fused with R₁, R₄ and R₅ always stalked, M₂ not arising nearer to M₃ than M₁, CuP absent, 1A+2A sometimes with small basal fork; hind wing with two or more frenular bristles in female, humeral angle usually expanded, humeral vein often present from angle of Sc, Sc approximated to, or fused with Rs near base, or joined to Rs by R₁, and then divergent, M₂ not arising nearer to M₃ than M₁ or absent, anal area absent, one or two anal veins; abdomen often slender; paired tympanal organs present in invaginations of anterior part of S2, inner side of each tympanal membrane with a thickened border and sclerotised arm (ansa), with four acoustic sense cells. Larva usually long and slender, ventral prolegs sometimes present on segments 3-6, 4-6, 5 and 6 or, more usually, only 6, prolegs on 6 often posterior, anal prolegs massive; crochets biordinal in curved mesoseries, rarely uniordinal; prothorax with two, rarely three, L setae; often twig- or leaf-like, rarely in loose shelter, usually feeding fully exposed. Pupa with cremaster well developed, often with hooked setae; without dorsal spines; usually in flimsy cocoon in debris or in soil; not protruded at ecdysis.

<==Geometridae [Boarmiidae, Macaridae, Monoctenidae]RD77
    |--+--GeometrinaeKP19
    |  `--EnnominaeKP19
    `--+--SterrhinaeKP19
       `--Larentiinae [Larentidae]KP19
            |  i. s.: ‘Panagra’ approximata [incl. P. intercalata]M90
            |--AustrocidariaAY04
            |--XanthorhoeNC91
            |--EuphyiaNC91
            |--Microdes squamulataNC91, G84
            |--Gymnoscelis rufifasciata (Haworth 1809)NC91, JP05
            |--Scotosia stellataH01
            |--Pterocypha defensataH01
            |--Operophtera brumataKP19
            |--PoecilasthenaC70
            |    |--P. pulchrariaC70
            |    `--P. subpurpureataP27b
            |--SaurisNC91
            |    |--S. hirudinataJG19
            |    |--S. pelagitis Prout 1933JG19
            |    `--S. remodesariaWM66
            |--LarentiaF92
            |    |--L. badiataF92
            |    |--L. clavariaF92
            |    |--L. impluviataF92
            |    `--L. juniperataF92
            `--ChloroclystisNC91
                 |--C. approximataNC91
                 |--C. bilineolataP27a
                 |--C. citrata (Linnaeus 1761)JP05
                 |--C. heighwayi Philpott 1927P27a
                 |--C. laticostataC70
                 |--C. muscosataL27
                 |--C. sandyciasL27
                 |--C. siterata (Hufnagel 1767)JP05
                 `--C. testulataP27b

Geometridae incertae sedis:
  Arctesthes catapyrrhaPPE03
  Paranotoreas brephosataPPE03
  Helastia semisignataM83
  HypochrosisA71
  SemiothisaPP72
    |--S. cruciataPP72
    `--S. liturataF92
  PeratophygaA71
  Pseudocoremia suavisBB04
  EupitheciaGE05
  SynchloraGE05
  AlsophilaGE05
    |--A. aesculariaRD77
    `--A. pometariaGE05
  ProboleFM80
    |--P. alienariaFM80
    `--P. nepiasaria [=Hyperetis nepiasaria]FM80
  DeclanaM83
    |--D. atroniveaO81
    |--D. floccosaM83
    `--D. leptomerisP27b
  Selina bilunariaA30
  ArchephanesAY04
  Milionia queenslandicaG08
  RhynchopsotaAY04
  Apeira syringaria (Linnaeus 1758)JP05
  Odontopera bidentata (Clerck 1759)JP05
  PeribatodesV09
    |--P. rhomboidaria [=Boarmia rhomboidaria]V09
    `--P. secundaria (Esper 1794)JP05
  Campaea margaritata (Linnaeus 1767)V09, JP05
  ElophosJP05
    |--E. dilucidaria (Denis & Schiffermüller 1775)JP05
    `--E. vittaria (Thunberg 1788)JP05
  SionaL49
    |--S. lineata (Scopoli 1763)JP05
    `--S. niveariaL49
  MelanthiaJP05
    |--M. galiariaL49
    `--M. procellata (Denis & Schiffermüller 1775)JP05
  Catarhoe cuculata (Hufnagel 1767)JP05
  Thera obeliscata (Hübner 1787)JP05
  HorismeJP05
    |--H. corticata (Treitschke 1835)JP05
    |--H. peplodesP27b
    `--H. tersata (Denis & Schiffermüller 1775)JP05
  Epirrita christyi (Allen 1906)JP05
  Eupithecila linariata (Denis & Schiffermüller 1775)JP05
  Epione vespertaria (Linnaeus 1775)JP05
  Plagodis dolabraria (Linnaeus 1767)JP05
  Petrophora chlorosata (Scopoli 1763)JP05
  ChesiasJP05
    |--C. legatella (Denis & Schiffermüller 1775)JP05
    |--C. oranaria Lucas 1849E12
    `--C. spartiataF92
  Rhinoprora chloerata (Mabille 1870)JP05
  Acasis viretata (Hübner 1817)JP05
  ScotorythraO94
  Oar pratanaF05
    |--O. p. pratanaF05
    `--O. p. baezi Hausmann 2004F05
  Pseudoterpna pruinataYS10
  Orsonoba rajacaWM66
  ProtuliocnemisZS10
  Alleopage cinereaZS10
  Dysphania numanaZS10
  Corymica pryeriZS10
  Stathmorrhopa aphotistaG84
  Zermisinga indocilisariaG84
  Jodis lacteariaV09
  Cyclophora punctariaV09
  Opisthograpta luteolata [=Rumia luteolata]V09
  Angerona prunariaP01
  Ematurga atomariaP01
  Scoria lineataP01
  LythriaP01
    |--L. chrysopedaP27b
    `--L. purpurariaP01
  Ortholitha plumbariaP01
  Lithostege griseata [incl. L. griseata var. duplicaria, L. griseata ab. infuscata]P01
  Eucosmia undulataP01
  CidariaP01
    |--C. albicillataP01
    |--C. comitataP01
    |--C. hastataP01
    |--C. luctuataP01
    `--C. malvariaL49
  MelanodesNC91
  ThalassodesM86
    |--T. byrsopis Meyrick 1886M86
    `--T. chloropisM86
  Anacamptodes vellvolataC96
  Eucaterva variariaG05
  Geometridites larentiiformisRJ93
  ‘Monotaxis’ Hulst 1898 non Bennett 1830S01
  EllopiaS96
    |--E. athasariaS96
    `--E. somniariaF92
  Prochoerodes truxaliataWS96
  Elpiste lorquinariaWS96
  ArchiearinaeNC91
    |--Acalyphes philoritesNC91
    |--DirceNC91
    `--ArchiearisZK11
         |--A. notha (Hübner 1808)I92
         `--A. partheniasZK11
  HemitheinaeC70
    |--Eucyclodes pieroidesC70
    |--HemitheaJP05
    |    |--H. aestivaria (Hübner 1789)JP05
    |    `--H. (Chlorissa) hyperymna Prout 1933JG19
    `--ChlorocomaC70
         |--C. assimilisC70
         `--C. dichorariaP27b
  OenochrominaeNC91
  AcidalianaeH01
  Abraxas [Abraxinae]S01
    |--A. adustataF92
    |--A. grossulariataF92
    |--A. latifasciata Swinhoe 1901S01
    |--A. marginataP01
    |--A. mundaS01
    |--A. pantariaF92
    |--A. sibilla [=Craspedosis sibilla]S01
    `--A. silvataP01
  Erannis defeliariaRD77, F92 [=Hibernia defeliariaF92]
  ApocheimaRD77
  Colotois pennariaRD77
  MonocteniaP27b
    |--M. digglesariaM90
    |--M. falernaria [incl. M. fraternaria]M90
    |--M. obtusata [incl. M. himeroides]M90
    |--M. ochripennata [=Phallaria ochripennata; incl. Diamuna gastropacharia]M90
    |--M. pallidaP27b
    |--M. smerinthariaM90
    `--M. subustaria [=Phallaria subustaria; incl. Hypographa hypotaeniaria, H. privata]M90
  PalaecritaRD77
  HasodimaD00
    |--H. dardania Druce 1900D00
    |--H. puta Druce 1900D00
    `--H. salapia Druce 1900D00
  OphthalmophoraD00
    |--O. amabilisD00
    |--O. cluana Druce 1900D00
    |--O. erionia Druce 1900D00
    |--O. geryon Druce 1900D00
    |--O. haemon Druce 1900D00
    |--O. halala Druce 1900D00
    `--O. sardes Druce 1900D00
  Bassodes aemonia Druce 1900D00
  Camptogramma stellataPP72
  CosymbiaPP72
    |--C. impudensPP72
    `--C. lineariaF92
  Brephos partheniasM90, F92
  Xenomusa Meyrick 1890M90
    `--*X. monoda Meyrick 1890M90
  Satraparchis Meyrick 1890M90
    `--*S. bijugata [=Panagra bijugata; incl. Melanippe teliferata]M90
  Darantasia flavicapitata [=Tephrina flavicapitata; incl. T. capitata, Darantasia mundiferaria]M90
  OnychodesM90
    |--*O. traumataria [=Onycodes traumataria]M90
    `--O. lutosaria [=Arhodia lutosaria]M90
  TheoxenaM90
  Phallaria ophiusaria [incl. Oenochroma quaternaria]M90
  Arrhodia lasiocamparia [=Arhodia lasiocamparia; incl. Arh. retractaria, Arh. semirosea, Nigasa subpurpurea]M90
  AspilatesM90
    |--A. calabrariaL49
    |--A. chordota Meyrick 1890M90
    |--A. citrariaL49
    |--A. cruciferaria Berg 1877 [incl. A. glyphicarius]B90
    |--A. duponchellaria Lucas 1849E12
    `--A. sacrariaL49
  Eumelea [Palyadae]M90
    |--E. aureliataWM66
    `--E. rosaliaM90
  AplastaM90
  OdeziaM90
  GypsochroaM90
  Oenone Meyrick 1890M90
    |--O. lunaris Meyrick 1890M90
    `--O. solaris Meyrick 1890M90
  HypographaM90
    |--H. atmoscia Meyrick 1890M90
    |--H. hiracopis Meyrick 1890M90
    |--H. phlegetonariaM90
    `--H. serpentariaM90
  PanagraM90
    |--P. aviataM90
    |--P. diffusariaM90
    |--P. ferritinctariaM90
    |--P. fictiliariaM90
    |--P. nullataM90
    `--P. sparsulariaM90
  Ecliptopera phaula Prout 1933JG19
  HyperythraJG19
    |--H. luteaJG19
    `--H. rubricata Warren 1898 [incl. Syrrhodia vindex Prout 1933]JG19
  ComostolopsisJG19
    |--C. germanaWFS04
    `--C. regina Thierry-Mieg 1915JG19
  Ruttelerona scotozonea (Hampson 1900) [=Boarmia scotezonea, Ectropis scotozonea]JG19

*Type species of generic name indicated

References

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