Phylogenomics of Prominent Moths (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae): A Subfamily-Level Reclassification

Authors: ST LAURENT, RYAN - Smithsonian Institute; Goldstein, Paul; MILLER, JAMES - American Museum Of Natural History; MILLER, SCOTT - Smithsonian Institute; ROBBINS, ROBERT - Smithsonian Institute

Submitted to: Smithsonian Contribution to Zoology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2024
Publication Date: 5/1/2025
Citation: St Laurent, R., Goldstein, P.Z., Miller, J.S., Miller, S., Robbins, R. 2025. Phylogenomics of Prominent Moths (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae): A Subfamily-Level Reclassification. Smithsonian Contribution to Zoology. 657:1-133. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.28912337.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5479/si.28912337

Interpretive Summary: This paper presents a novel classification based on genomic data for the Prominent Moths, a large globally distributed family of moths that includes many pest species and whose classification had not previously been possible. We recognize 21 subfamilies including five newly described ones. The genomic data resolve many previously unanswered problems in our understanding of these moths' relationships. We also present an updated checklist of valid genera, with subfamily assignments. This paper will be useful for biologists, including entomologists and systematists, who wish to identify or conduct research on Prominent Moths or their caterpillars.

Technical Abstract: We present the first taxonomically comprehensive phylogenomic dataset for Notodontidae with the aim of establishing the subfamily classification. Conflicting classifications of Notodontidae have confounded the understanding of this diverse group (over 4,700 species), partly because there has been limited taxonomic and geographic sampling and morphological homoplasy is widespread. This study incorporates as many as 854 anchored hybrid enrichment loci from 150 species. Our dataset is the first to include taxa from all continents where Notodontidae occur as well as type genera and (when possible) type species of all previously recognized subfamilies. Our genomic dataset is analyzed using maximum likelihood, multispecies coalescent, and parsimony phylogenetic methods. We recognize 21 subfamilies, five of which are given new names based on phylogenomic analyses corroborated by morphological diagnoses: Anaphinae St Laurent & Goldstein, subfam. nov., Chadisrinae St Laurent & Schintlmeister, subfam. nov., Peratodontinae St Laurent & Goldstein, subfam. nov., Teleclitinae St Laurent & Goldstein, subfam. nov., and Shachiinae St Laurent & Goldstein, subfam. nov.; an additional two subfamilies are elevated from tribes of Heterocampinae: Lusurinae Thiaucourt, stat. nov. and Hapigiinae Franclemont & Miller, stat. nov.. Heterocampinae Neumoegen & Dyar is recognized to include two cosmopolitan tribes: Neodrymoniaini Kobayashi stat. rev. and Heterocampini Neumoegen & Dyar. The following family-group names are synonymized: Ptilodontinae Grote & Robinson, syn. rev. and Ptilophorinae Matsumura, syn. rev. with Notodontinae Stephens and Rosemini Forbes, syn. nov. with Hemiceratinae Guenée. The largely diurnal group Dioptinae Walker, syn. nov. is nested within Nystaleinae Forbes. Our results also imply the following generic changes: Erconholda Kiriakoff, stat. rev. (formerly subgenus of Phalera Hübner) and Antheua atrata (Grünberg), comb. nov. (formerly placed in Phalera). Two genera are newly synonymized with Scevesia: Narriocampa Thiaucourt, syn. nov. and Haxairella Thiaucourt, syn. nov.. We provide a checklist of 660 valid genera for all Notodontidae, with subfamily level assignments.