HEPIALIDAE - SWIFT MOTHS
A worldwide family of variable size, including some of the largest of Paraguayan moths. There are about 500 described species globally.
Characteristics
Small to large moths with variable wing shape, ranging from narrow and pointed to broadly triangular. Compund eyes are large and external ocelli absent. Well-developed dorsal tentorial arm. Antennae short, complex with a bipectinate, tripectinate or dentate flagellum. Maxillary palpae and galeae extremely reduced and there is no functional proboscis. Epiphysis present on the foreleg though sometimes reduced. Tibial spurs lacking. Wings typically drab in colouration, sometiems with silver patches or variegated patternation. Humeral vein and vein M are forked near the base of the cell on both wings. Sc in forewing is simple or forked and CuP is joined to CuA and 1A by a cross vein. Sc is simple in the hindwing. Jugum pronounced on forewing, but no frenulum or frenular bristles. Male genitalia has trulleum fused laterally with pseudoteguminal lobes. (Scoble 1995).
Life Cycles
Egg is spherical, lacking ornaments. Larvae cylindrical and almost prognathous, the stemmata forming two vertical rows. Puncture Ga absent on head and Fa is lateral to seta F1. Prothoracic shield is large and includes all the L-group setae. Prolegs on A3-6 and on A10. Crochets uniserial, uniordinal and arranged in a circle in first instars, multiserial, uniordinal and arranged in an ellipse in later instars. Larvae frequently live underground where they are phytophagous, phytophagous with an early mycophagous stage or maybe exclusively mycophagous. Tunnels may be formed into roots or stems, and leaf feed.ing also occurs with some species emerging from tunnels to eat material at ground level. Adults lack mouthparts and do not feed. Footplant range is broad and has led to some species being considered pests.
In the pupa the mandibles are reduced and maxillary palpi absent. Segments A3-7 bear two transverse rows of dorsal spines, A7 having an additional ventral row sometimes connected to the anterior dorsal row. Abdomen quite mobile but appendages are fused to the body and to each other. There is no cremaster.
Classification
Superfamily Hepialoidea: Family Hepialidae
References:
Scoble MJ 1995 - The Lepidoptera: Form, Function and Diversity - Oxford University Press, Oxford.
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Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Photographs on this web-site were taken by Paul Smith, Hemme Batjes, Regis Nossent,
Alberto Esquivel, Arne Lesterhuis, José Luis Cartes, Rebecca Zarza and Hugo del Castillo and are used with their permission.
 Hepialidae 30 July 08 ecosara jeni oborn.jpg "FIGURE 1") | FIGURE 1 |
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FIGURE 1 - Trichophassus giganteus female (Herrich-Schäffer, 1853) - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Jeni Oborn July 2008 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database)
