MOTHS OF BELIZE
SPECIES LISTS BY FAMILY
14. Uraniidae
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The Uraniidae, as presently constituted, consist of two
superficially extremely different subfamilies - the Uraniinae (which,
in the New World tropics are all large species with irridescent metallic blue
or green striping on their wings and long hindwing 'tails') and the
Epipleminae (small, subdued species rarely exceeding 20 mm in wingspan
with characteristic twice-scalloped hind-wings). The technical character
allegedly unifying these two very different groups into one family is
the possession of similarly-shaped tympanal organs (Scoble 1992).
I have collected one species from each subfamily 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.
SUBFAMILY URANIINAE
Urania fulgens Boisduval
SUBFAMILY EPIPLEMINAE
Genus & species indet.
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