A. Bendib et J. Minet, Lithosiine main lineages and their possible interrelationships. I. - Definition of new or resurrected tribes (Lepidoptera : Arctiidae), ANN SOC ENT, 35(3-4), 1999, pp. 241-263
To date, no general classification is available for the Lithosiinae, one of
the main arctiid subfamilies. Seven tribes are here proposed as major mono
phyla within the Lithosiinae, viz. the Acsalini (previously a nomen nudum),
three new taxa - the Phryganopterygini, Eudesmiini and Cisthenini - and th
ree redefined and/or resurrected tribes : the Nudariini, Endrosini and Lith
osiini. For each tribe, except the last one (to be dealt with later on), a
description is given of the adult, larval and pupal characters, along with
information about the ethology, larval food, composition, distribution and
possible autapomorphies of the group. The monophyly of the Lithosiinae is s
hown to be essentially supported by two larval apomorphies, one of which co
ncerns the (previously overlooked) arrangement of the labral setae M1 and M
2. The assignment of the Phryganopterygini to the Lithosiinae must be consi
dered tentative, since the early stages of these insects remain unknown.