MOTHS OF BELIZE
SPECIES LISTS BY FAMILY
20. Notodontidae

| BACK TO LIST OF MOTH FAMILIES |

The Notodontidae are a very prominent part of the capture at any moth light in Belize. Even though the family contains only some 3,200 medium-sized species worldwide, by far the largest number of these are found in the New World Tropics. Notodontids - like Noctuids - are generally sombre grey or brown in appearance with long, tapered wings. However, the abdomens of Notodontids tend to be longer in proportion to wing size than in Noctuids. Many Notodontids continue the forewing pattern onto the front edge of the hindwing, which is not covered by the forewing at rest. Notodontids are technically separated as a 'natural' grouping of truly related species by their possession of serrated edges on the tips of the tibial spurs, among other features.

There has been no modern review of the species of this group, except in part, since the work of Draudt in Seitz (1925), and Gaede (1934), although Miller (1991) analyses the overall generic and higher classification of the group. Several 'subfamilies' (such as the Doinae and Dioptinae) are elevated to families in their own right by some authors (as I have done here) and other subfamilies have historically been moved into and out of completely different families such as the Arctiidae. I lump all of the Notodontid 'subfamilies' (except the distinctive Doidae and Dioptidae) together for the present. The Notodontidae are one of the least well-known macromoth families of the neotropics and I am grateful to Dr. Paul Thiacourt of Paris, the world's foremost living expert on this family in the new world, for his comments on many of my specimens (the many remaining errors are mine and not his!)

I have taken about 150 species of this subfamily in Belize so far, of which 70 identified species are listed below in no particular order - 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 Bardaxima
  • Bardaxima lucilinea Walker 1858

    The genus Hemiceras
  • Hemiceras alba Walker 1865
  • Hemiceras micans Schaus 1906
  • Hemiceras muscosa Schaus 1906
  • Hemiceras sparsipennis Walker 1857
  • Hemiceras vecina Schaus 1915

    The genus Apela
  • Apela dubiosa Thiacourt 1988
  • Apela neobule Druce 1905

    The genus Cerura
  • Cerura dandon Druce 1894
  • Cerura rarata Walker 1865

    The genus Pentobesa
  • Pentobesa valta Schaus 1901

    The genus Calledema
  • Calledema argenta Schaus 1905

    The genus Eunystalea
  • Eunystalea ebalea Cramer 1781

    The genus Nystalea
  • Nystalea collaris Schaus 1910
  • Nystalea superciliosa Guenee 1852
  • Nystalea ocellata Rothschild 1917
  • Nystalea lineiplena Walker 1857
  • Nystalea nr. striata Schaus 1910
  • Nystalea nyseus Cramer1775
  • Nystalea postpuncta Schaus 1920

    The genus Disphragis
  • Disphragis remuria Druce 1898
  • Disphragis livida Schaus 1911
  • Disphragis sp. atrax group
  • Disphragis sp. gravis group

    The genus Lepasta
  • Lepasta bractea Felder 1874
  • Lepasta grammodes Felder 1874

    The genus Strophocerus
  • Strophocerus rectilinea Dognin 1908
  • Strophocerus albonotatus Druce 1909

    The genus Elasmia
  • Elasmia astuta Schaus 1894
  • Elasmia pronax Dognin 1908

    The genus Elymiotis
  • Elymiotis lignicolor Moschler 1877

    The genus Farigia
  • Farigia sp. nr. magniplaga Schaus

    The genus Dasylophia
  • Dasylophia guarana ? Schaus 1892

    The genus Marthula
  • Marthula rufescens Schaus 1910
  • Marthula cynrica Schaus 1928

    The genus Drugera
  • Drugera morona Druce 1898

    The genus Ankale
  • Ankale maltha Schaus 1906

    The genus Crinodes
  • Crinodes schausi Rothschild (form intermedia Draudt 1933)
  • Crinodes guatemalena Druce 1887

    The genus Lirimiris
  • Lirimiris meridionalisSchaus 1904
  • Lirimiris gigantea Herrich-Schaeffer (complex)
  • Lirimiris lignitecta Walker 1865 or auriflua Draudt 1932

    The genus Canodia
  • Canodia difformis Herrich-Schaeffer 1854

    The genus Malocampa
  • Malocampa punctata Cramer 1782 (form illimis Draudt 1932)
  • Malocampa albolineata Druce1887
  • Malocampa puella Dyar 1908
  • Malocampa sida Schaus1901
  • Malocampa sorax Schaus 1906

    The genus Eragisa
  • Eragisa sabulosa Schaus 1904

    The genus Sericochroa
  • Sericochroa luculenta Schaus 1907
  • Sericochroa arecosa Druce 1898

    The genus Rifargia
  • Rifargia causia Schaus 1892
  • Rifargia demissa Schaus 1906
  • Rifargia gelduba Schaus 1892
  • Rifargia felderi Schaus 1901
  • Rifargia onerosa Schaus 1906
  • Rifargia distinguenda Walker 1856
  • Rifargia astuta Rothschild

    The genus Rhuda
  • Rhuda difficilis Schaus 1911

    The genus Colax
  • Colax phocus Schaus 1892

    The genus Hapigia
  • Hapigia simplex Walker 1865
  • Hapigia dorema Schaus 1922
  • Hapigia jeturna Cramer
  • Hapigia repandens Schaus 1906

    The genus Hapigiodes
  • Hapigiodes fredericka Dyar 1911
  • Hapigiodes xolotl Schaus 1892

    The genus Chliara
  • Chliara cresus Cramer 1780

    The genus Antaea
  • Antaea omana Schaus 1906

    The genus Rosema
  • Rosema sp. indet.
  • Rosema dentifera Draudt



    | BACK TO LIST OF MOTH FAMILIES |