Biota

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Superfamily Geometroidea

Kingdom: Animalia > Phylum: Arthropoda > Class: Insecta > Order: Lepidoptera > Superfamily: Geometroidea

These are the geometrid and swallowtail moths. The name Geometroidae comes from the type genus Geometra which is Greek meaning “to measure the earth,” referring to the larva, or inchworm, as they move in a looping fashion. Some species are difficult to spot as the adults and larvae of many resemble bark, dead leaves, and twigs. There are currently five families in this superfamily.

  1. Family Epicopeiidae (Asian swallowtail moths)
  2. Family Geometridae* (Geometer moths, loopers)
    1. Subfamily Alsophilinae
    2. Subfamily Archiearinae
    3. Subfamily Desmobathrinae
    4. Subfamily Ennominae
    5. Subfamily Geometrinae
    6. Subfamily Larentiinae
    7. Subfamily Oenochrominae
    8. Subfamily Orthostixinae
    9. Subfamily Sterrhinae 
  3. Family Sematuridae (American swallowtail moths)
    1. Subfamily Apoprogoninae
    2. Subfamily Sematurinae
  4. Family Pseudobistonidae#
  5. Family Uraniidae (swallowtail moths)
    1. Subfamily Auzeinae
    2. Subfamily Epipleminae
    3. Subfamily Microniinae
    4. Subfamily Uraniinae

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# Recently established and not yet in LepIndex
* Family with photos

Family Geometridae

This is the second most species-rich family of Lepidoptera, with approximately 24,000 described species and found all over the world except Antarctica. 

  1. Subfamily Ennominae
    1. Abraxas grossulariata, Magpie
    2. Colotois pennaria, Feathered Thorn
  2. Subfamily Geometrinae
    1. Geometra papilionaria, large emerald
  3. Subfamily Sterrhinae
    1. Idaea aversata, riband wave