MOTHS OF BELIZE
SPECIES LISTS BY FAMILY
15(b). Arctiidae: Ctenuchinae

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SUBFAMILY DESCRIPTION
The Ctenuchinae ('Wasp Moths') have long been suspected to be an 'unnatural' group, made up of unrelated species which have evolved to appear similar due to similar evolutionary selection pressures - in this case to mimic various species of wasps and other noxious insects. Recent cladistic work by Jacobson & Weller (2002) has concluded that the former 'Ctenuchinae' consist of two closely related new world tribes of the subfamily Arctiinae - the Ctenuchini and the Euchromiini - and that the mostly tropical old world 'Ctenuchines' are members of the tribe Syntomini of another Arctiid subfamily, the Syntominae. The vast majority of the former 'Ctenuchinae' (ie Ctenuchini and Euchromiini) are confined to the new world tropics, with about a dozen species ranging into North America. Most are between 20 and 40 mm in wingspan: their wings are characteristically long and thin and often possess large transparent patches in mimicry of various species of wasps and bees. Larvae are difficult to distinguish from those of other Arctiids, but feed upon grasses, lichens, mosses and various members of the plant family Apocynaceae (Scoble 1992). This group has not been catalogued or revised in detail since the major work by Hampson (1898, 1914) but the recent work by Jacobson & Weller (2002) has revised the higher classification of the Arctiidae including the former 'Ctenuchinae'. I retain the old, artificial classification for now as it is familiar to most workers.

BELIZE SPECIES
78 morphospecies of this 'subfamily' have been collcted in Belize so far, as listed below - please click on any underlined species names to go to a colour illustration of the adult (and sometimes its genitalia) and brief information on the species.


The genus Episcepsis
  • Episcepsis inornata Walker 1856
  • Episcepsis thetis L. 1771
  • Episcepsis lenaeus Cramer 1780
  • Episcepsis phlebitis Dognin 1913

    The genus Aclytia
  • Aclytia punctata Butler 1876
  • Aclytia heber Cramer 1780
  • Aclytia ventralis Guerin-Ménéville 1844
  • Aclytia sp. indet.

    The genus Epidesma
  • Epidesma ursula Cramer 1782

    The genus Eucereon
  • Eucereon relegatum Schaus 1911
  • Eucereon atriguttum Druce 1905
  • Eucereon balium Hampson 1898
  • Eucereon pseudarchias Hampson 1898
  • Eucereon obscurum Möschler 1872
  • Eucereon phaeoproctum Hampson 1898
  • Eucereon sp. indet. 1
  • Eucereon sp. indet. 2
  • Eucereon sp. indet. 3
  • Eucereon rosa Walker 1854

    The genus Theages
  • Theages xanthura Schaus 1910

    The genus Timalus
  • Timalus caeruleus Hampson 1898

    The genus Chlorostola
  • Chlorostola corydon(?) Druce 1884 (or near)

    The genus Ixylasia
  • Ixylasia schausi Druce 1896

    The genus Isanthrene
  • Isanthrene perbosci Guerin-Meneville 1814
  • Isanthrene azia(?) Druce 1884

    The genus Neacerea
  • Neacerea testacea Druce 1884
  • Neacerea rufiventris Schaus 1894

    The genus Heliura
  • Heliura rhodophila Walker 1856

    The genus Nyridela
  • Nyridela xanthocera Walker 1856

    The genus Leucotmemis
  • Leucotmemis nexa Herrich-Schaeffer 1854

    The genus Hyaleucerea
  • Hyaleucerea vulnerata Butler 1875

    The genus Dinia
  • Dinia aeagrus Cramer 1779

    The genus Cosmosoma
  • Cosmosoma auge L. 1767
  • Cosmosoma braconoides Walker 1854
  • Cosmosoma sectinota Hampson 1898
  • Cosmosoma stibostictum Butler 1876
  • Cosmosoma caecum Hampson 1898
  • Cosmosoma teuthras Walker 1854
  • Cosmosoma festivum Walker 1854
  • Cosmosoma xanthosticta Hampson 1898
  • Cosmosoma ? sp. indet.

    The genus Gymnelia
  • Gymnelia ethodaea Druce 1889

    The genus Dycladia
  • Dycladia imitata(?) Druce
  • Dycladia vitrina Rothschild

    The genus Abrochia
  • Abrochia leovazquezae Ruiz & Sarabia 1986

    The genus Phoenicoprocta
  • Phoenicoprocta rubiventer(?) Hampson 1898

    The genus Pheia
  • Pheia albisigna Walker 1854

    The genus Psilopleura
  • Psilopleura vittata Walker 1864

    The genus Correbia
  • Correbia undulata Druce 1884
  • Correbia sp. nr. agnonides Druce

    The genus Correbidia
  • Correbidia assimilis Rothschild 1912
  • Correbidia elegans Druce 1884

    The genus Napata
  • Napata walkeri Druce 1889

    The genus Psoloptera
  • Psoloptera basifulva Schaus 1894

    The genus Macrocneme
  • Macrocneme sp. complex

    The genus Poliopastea
  • Poliopastea sp. indet. 1
  • Poliopastea sp. indet. 2

    The genus Horama
  • Horama plumipes Drury 1773
  • Horama oedippus Boisduval 1870

    The genus Sciopsyche
  • Sciopsyche tropica Walker 1854

    The genus Saurita
  • Saurita? sp. nr fumosa Schaus 1912
  • Saurita stryma Druce 1884

    The genus Syntomeida
  • Syntomeida epilais Walker 1854
  • Syntomeida melanthus Cramer 1779
  • Syntomeida syntomoides Boisduval 1836

    The genus Belemnia
  • Belemnia inaurata Sulzer 1776

    The genus Sphecosoma
  • Sphecosoma felderi Druce 1883

    Unknown genera
  • Genus & species indet. 1
  • Genus & species indet. 2
  • Genus & species indet. 3
  • Genus & species indet. 4
  • Genus & species indet. 5
  • Genus & species indet. 6
  • Genus & species indet. 7
  • Genus & species indet. 8
  • Genus & species indet. 9
  • Genus & species indet. 10
  • Genus & species indet. 11


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