Chalcosiinae

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Chalcosiinae
Eterusia repleta
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Zygaenidae
Subfamily: Chalcosiinae
Type species
Sphinx pectinicornis
L.
Genera

Over 65, see text

Cyclosia papilionaris, female

Chalcosiinae is a subfamily of the Zygaenidae, containing many species, mostly little known. Prominent sexual dimorphism, bright aposematic coloration and mimicry complexes are widespread.

Several members of this subfamily remain relatively obscure, only being known from a single specimen, as in the case of the genus Isocrambia. Some others are known from specimens of a specific sex, such as Cyanidia and Allocaprima.

The members of Chalcosiinae are distributed throughout Palearctic East Asia, Southeast Asia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. The majority of the subfamily extending as far north as the Russian Far-East (Elcysma westwoodi[1]) and as far west as Pakistan (Campylotes). A single genus, Aglaope is disjunctly distributed from the remainder of the subfamily, being found in the Iberian Peninsula and southern France.

Mimicry

A large majority of Chalcosiine moths engage in mimicry complexes with a large variety of butterflies and moths. Yen Shen-Horn designates 19 unique types, separated by wing patterns which allow the ability to mimic a large variety of lepidopterans.

Species that are mimicked by Chalcosiine moths include:

Laelia, Pantana, Calinaga, Parantica, Aporia, Idea, Ideopsis, Euploea, Danaus, Delias, Eurema, Milionia, Scrobigera, Nyctemera, Dysphania, Lithosiinae, Sesiidae, Syntomini, Asota, Damias, Retina, Troidini, Melanothrix

Systematics

Gallery

References

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