Sematuridae
Encyclopedia
Sematuridae is a family of moths
in the lepidoptera
n order, currently containing two subfamilies (Minet and Scoble, 1999).
in general appearancehttp://www.sil.si.edu/imagegalaxy/imageGalaxy_enlarge.cfm?id_image=5972(except for the genera Apoprogones, Anuropteryx and Lonchotura) . The position of this family is not certain amongst the Macrolepidoptera
but it is currently usually considered to belong to the superfamily Geometroidea
, whilst the identity of its closest extant relative is under investigation using DNA sequencing
http://www.leptree.net/status_matrix. Until recently very little has been known of sematurid biology (but see Sematurinae
). The "chaetosemata" of Sematuridae have long setae overhanging the compound eye
s, the antennae are thickened towards the often rather clubbed or hooked tip whilst a tympanal organ
for hearing is always absent and there are other diagnostic characters in the abdomen
(Minet and Scoble, 1999: 305-307; Holloway et al., 2001).
is represented by a single species in South Africa
whilst Sematurinae
is represented by about 29 (41 including the genera Anurapteryx and Lonchotura) species in the Neotropicshttp://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/lepindex/checklist.dsml?searchPageURL=index.dsml&UserID=&UserName=&sort=SCIENTIFIC_NAME_on_card&Current_superfamily=Geometroidea&Current_family=Sematuridae&Current_subfamily=&Current_tribe=&recLimit=500. Such an apparently relictual distribution might relate to the geological split of South America
and Africa
, but there is as yet no evidence for the age of evolutionary divergence of Neotropical and Afrotropical representatives; moreover, new genetic
material would be needed for the South Africa
n taxon
as well as the American
genera Anurapteryx and Lonchotura for a modern molecular approach to this problem to succeedhttp://www.leptree.net.
Moths
Moths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...
in the lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
n order, currently containing two subfamilies (Minet and Scoble, 1999).
Taxonomy, systematics, and identification
These are large day-flying or night-flying moths, usually tailed and similar to UraniidaeUraniidae
The Uraniidae are a family of moths containing four subfamilies, ninety genera, and roughly seven-hundred species. The family is distributed throughout the tropics of Americas, Africa and Indo-Australia. Some of the tropical species are known for their bright, butterfly-like colors and are called...
in general appearancehttp://www.sil.si.edu/imagegalaxy/imageGalaxy_enlarge.cfm?id_image=5972(except for the genera Apoprogones, Anuropteryx and Lonchotura) . The position of this family is not certain amongst the Macrolepidoptera
Macrolepidoptera
Macrolepidoptera is a group within the insect order Lepidoptera. Traditionally used for the larger butterflies and moths as opposed to the "Microlepidoptera", this group is unnatural. However, it seems that by moving some taxa about, a monophyletic Macrolepidoptera can be easily achieved...
but it is currently usually considered to belong to the superfamily Geometroidea
Geometroidea
Geometroidea is the superfamily of geometrid moths in the Lepidoptera. It includes the families Geometridae, Uraniidae, and Sematuridae...
, whilst the identity of its closest extant relative is under investigation using DNA sequencing
DNA sequencing
DNA sequencing includes several methods and technologies that are used for determining the order of the nucleotide bases—adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine—in a molecule of DNA....
http://www.leptree.net/status_matrix. Until recently very little has been known of sematurid biology (but see Sematurinae
Sematurinae
Sematurinae is a subfamily of moths in the family Sematuridae, represented by at least 29 species in the Neotropics.-Taxonomy, classification and identification:Sematurinae has three principal genera, and possibly another two...
). The "chaetosemata" of Sematuridae have long setae overhanging the compound eye
Glossary of Lepidopteran terms
This glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of insect species, jargon used mostly by professionals or entomologist....
s, the antennae are thickened towards the often rather clubbed or hooked tip whilst a tympanal organ
Tympanal organ
A tympanal organ is a hearing organ in insects, consisting of a membrane stretched across a frame backed by an air sac and associated sensory neurons...
for hearing is always absent and there are other diagnostic characters in the abdomen
Glossary of Lepidopteran terms
This glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of insect species, jargon used mostly by professionals or entomologist....
(Minet and Scoble, 1999: 305-307; Holloway et al., 2001).
Distribution
ApoprogoninaeApoprogoninae
Apoprogoninae is a subfamily of the moth family Sematuridae, represented by a single species from Swaziland, South Africa.-Taxonomy and systematics:...
is represented by a single species in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
whilst Sematurinae
Sematurinae
Sematurinae is a subfamily of moths in the family Sematuridae, represented by at least 29 species in the Neotropics.-Taxonomy, classification and identification:Sematurinae has three principal genera, and possibly another two...
is represented by about 29 (41 including the genera Anurapteryx and Lonchotura) species in the Neotropicshttp://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/lepindex/checklist.dsml?searchPageURL=index.dsml&UserID=&UserName=&sort=SCIENTIFIC_NAME_on_card&Current_superfamily=Geometroidea&Current_family=Sematuridae&Current_subfamily=&Current_tribe=&recLimit=500. Such an apparently relictual distribution might relate to the geological split of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, but there is as yet no evidence for the age of evolutionary divergence of Neotropical and Afrotropical representatives; moreover, new genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
material would be needed for the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n taxon
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
as well as the American
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
genera Anurapteryx and Lonchotura for a modern molecular approach to this problem to succeedhttp://www.leptree.net.