Callidulidae

Taxobox
name = Callidulidae

---

image_caption = A callidulid moth "Tetragonus catamitus" laying eggs on a fern in the Western Ghats.
image_size = 240px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
subcohorto = Neolepidoptera
infraordo = Heteroneura
unranked_familia = Ditrysia
superfamilia = Calliduloidea
familia = Callidulidae
diversity = About 60 species
diversity_link = Lepidopteran diversity
subdivision_ranks = Subfamily and Genus
subdivision = Pterothysaninae
*"Helicomitra"
**="Caloschemia"
*"Pterothysanus"
**="Anengya" Griveaudiinae
*"Griveaudia" Callidulinae
*"Callidula"
**="Petavia"
**="Datanga"
*"Cleis"
*"Comella"
*"Pterodecta"
*"Tetragonus"
**="Agonis" Callidulidae, the only known family of the superfamily Calliduloidea, is the family of Old World butterfly-moths, containing eight genera. They have a peculiar distribution, restricted to the Old World tropics of South East Asia to Australasia and Madagascar. The three subfamilies exhibit both day-flying and night-flying behaviour.

The mainly day-flying Callidulinae can be distinguished by their resting posture, which is the most butterfly-like, with the wings held closely over the back. Resembling the butterfly family Lycaenidae, these moths can be told apart by their antennae which taper to a point or may be very subtly clubbed. The more often night-flying Pterothysaninae and Griveaudiinae have a different adult resting posture (the latter roof-like in repose) and these were not placed within the Callidulidae until recently. [Minet, J. (1986). Ébauche d'une classification moderne de l'ordre des Lépidoptères. "Alexanor" 14(7): 291–313.]

Biology of most subfamilies and species. is poorly known. Eggs are very flat in Griveaudiinae and Callidulinae, and caterpillars of Callidulinae are green with a shiny black head and have only been reported from ferns [Gaden S. Robinson, Phillip R. Ackery, Ian J. Kitching, George W. Beccaloni & Luis M. Hernández. HOSTS database. [http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/hostplants/list.dsml?searchPageURL=browse.dsml&Family=Callidulidae&Genus=&Species=&Country=&sort=Family] (Accessed May 2007)] forming a leaf roll in which they live, eat and finally pupate, while the pupa of "Helicomitra" appears to be subterranean. [Minet, J. (1987). Description d'une chrysalide de Pterothysaninae (Lep. Callidulidae). "Nouvelle Revue d'Entomologie" ("N.S.") 4(3): 312.]

The closest relatives of Callidulidae are not known, but they are currently placed in a group that includes the three butterfly superfamilies, the "hook-tip moths" Drepanoidea and the "geometer moths" Geometroidea and also possibly Axioidea which share some structural characteristics. [Minet, J. (1999 [1988] ). The Axioidea and Calliduloidea. Ch. 16, pp. 257–261 in Kristensen, N.P. (Ed.). "Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies". Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbuch der Zoologie. Eine Naturgeschichte der Stämme des Tierreiches / Handbook of Zoology. A Natural History of the phyla of the Animal Kingdom. Band / Volume IV Arthropoda: Insecta Teilband / Part 35: 491 pp. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York.]

Cited references

Other references

*aut|Minet, J. (1990 [1989] ). Nouvelles frontières, géographiques et taxonomiques, pour la famille des Callidulidae (Lepidoptera, Calliduloidea). "Nouvelle Revue d'Entomologie" ("N.S.") 6(4): 351–368.
* 2003. Callidulidae. [http://tolweb.org/Callidulidae/12034/] in The Tree of Life Web Project, [http://tolweb.org/] Accessed October 2006
* (Ed.) (2002) "Firefly Encyclopedia of Insects and Spiders". ISBN 1-55297-612-2

External links

* [http://www.tolweb.org/Callidulidae Tree of Life]
* [http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/hostplants/list.dsml?searchPageURL=browse.dsml&Family=Callidulidae&Genus=&Species=&Country=&sort=Family Natural History Museum hosts database]
* [http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/lepindex/list.dsml?searchPageURL=index.dsml&UserID=&UserName=&sort=SCIENTIFIC_NAME_on_card&Current_superfamily=Calliduloidea&Current_family=&Current_subfamily=&Current_tribe=&recLimit=100 Natural History Museum Lepindex Available names]
* [http://www.mothsofborneo.com/part-8/callidulidae/callidulidae.php Moths of Borneo Callidulidae]
* [http://www.mothsofborneo.com/part-8/callidulidae/gallery.php Moths of Borneo Callidulinae images]
* [http://www.tierlexikon.ch/systematik.73876.html Callidulinae species]
* [http://hkinsect.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5632 "Callidula attenuata" Accessed 4 March 2007]
* [http://www.mothsofborneo.com/part-8/images/plate8/calliduline_sakuni.jpgPhoto illustrating rest position]