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New research!
This is the first classification of the diverse (4,000+ species) global family of moths known as Notodontidae. Until now the classification was particularly unclear and most of the 600+ genera were not formally assigned to subfamilies based on genetic or morphological data. Now, we recognize 21 subfamilies, almost double what had been previously been suggested based on earlier studies.
From St Laurent et al. 2025: Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 657.
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In a study led by Liliana Prada-Lara, we reevaluated the generic concepts of Nystaleinae based on morphological analyses. Based on current research, 44 genera and nearly 400 species are recognized in the Nystaleinae sensu lato (so, not including the colorful diurnal Dioptinae that are actually part of the Nystaleinae, more on that soon!).
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The moth shown here on the left is Xylodonta ochreibasis (a member of the Nystaleinae) that Ryan photographed in Brazil, this is a recently described species and one of the first photos of a living individual!
From Prada-Lara et al. 2025: Zootaxa 5662(1).
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We report on a notodontid moth, found in a mangrove forest in Colombia, which shows evidence of visiting an orchid due to the presence of pollinia attached to its head. While at least one other notodontid was previously known to visit orchids, this is the first case from Nystaleinae, and the first record of pollinia being recovered from a notodontid specimen. An early step towards understanding notodontid-flower interactions in nature.
From Prada-Lara et al. 2024: Revista Chilena De EntomologÃa, 50(4).
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Until very recently, the species-level identification of the related African notodontid genera Afrocerura and Cerurina was extremely confusing, with most species having been misidentified in the literature. Here we reexamine all relevant type specimens together for the first time, along with detailed study of morphology and genetic data to revise the classification of these moths.
From Mulvaney et al. 2024: Insect Systematics and Diversity, 8 (5).
