Sematurinae is a subfamily of moths in the family Sematuridae, represented by at least 29 species in the Neotropics.
Taxonomy, classification and identification
Sematurinae has three principal genera, and possibly another two. The hindwing of Coronidia is distinguished by an iridescent blue band, but Homidiana characteristically has pink, orange or yellow markings, especially in females (Minet and Scoble, 1999). The genus Mania is large, brown and tailed, resembling to some extent the genus Lyssa. The approximately twelve other sematurid species in the genera Anurapteryx and Lonchotura are placed here for now (making about 41 species) but may not belong in this subfamily; one species, Anurapteryx crenulata reaches the subtropics of Arizona (Minet and Scoble, 1999). The relationships within Sematuridae clearly need deeper investigation.
Note: the name Nothus is preoccupied by a genus of Coleoptera(Minet and Scoble, 1999). The genus name Sematura was also in use for this genus, but it was younger (being published in 1825) than Hübner's name Mania from 1821; a petition to conserve the junior name was rejected by the ICZN in Opinion 2352 (2015)[1], so Hübner's name is officially now the valid name for the genus.
The adult moths of Sematurinae are either day or night-flying, depending on the genus and have the wings outspread at rest and the genus Sematura displays impressive eyespots at the hindwing tails.
The biology of Sematurinae is so far poorly known. The larva of Homidiana was illustrated by Westwood (1879) who incorrectly placed it among Coronidia, and was described by Fassl (1910). In 1995–1998, caterpillars were found in Costa Rica. Sematurine eggs have been described by Minet and Scoble (1999:302), and are upright, high, with vertical and finer transverse ribs. The caterpillars of Homidiana subpicta have rows of black spines either side of the dorsal midline and five pairs of prolegs. The larva of Coronidia orithea lacks such spines, and is well camouflaged like a lichen-covered twig and has realistic-looking false eyes making it resemble a predatory spider. The larvae of Mania were reared in Costa Rica in 2001 and are a bit similar to those of Coronidia being well camouflaged but bearing small projections rather than long spines one the dorsal surface. Like some Uraniidae, pupation occurs on the ground among debris. The pupa of Homidiana has a long projecting proboscis "sheath" with eight hooklets at the cremaster tip (Minet and Scoble, 1999).
The caterpillar of Coronidia orithea is so far only known to feed on mistletoes (Viscaceae: Phoradendron quadrangulare). Homidiana subpicta feeds on a more diverse range of plants, including the families Araliaceae (Oreopanax), Gesneriaceae, Piperaceae (Piper), Primulaceae (Ardisia, Myrsine), Solanaceae (Solanum), Onagraceae (Ludwigia) and Theophrastaceae (Clavija). "Sematura luna" reared in 2001 whose well-camouflaged larva is reported to feed on the legume Pentaclethra macroloba (Mimosoideae) and on Syzygium longifolium (Myrtaceae).
Coronidia erecthea Westwood, 1879 [Type locality Espiritu Santu, Brazil] Card
Coronidia hyphasis (Hopffer, 1856) (originally in Coronis) [Type locality Mexico] Card
Coronidia orithea (Cramer, Papill. Exot. 3:121) (originally in Phalaena) [Type locality Surinam] [2] [3] [4]
=? durvillii Guenée, 1857Card
=Coronidia hysudrus Hopffer, 1857 Card
=Coronidia boreada Westwood, 1879 Card
Coronidia difficilis Strand, 1911 [Type locality Chanchamayo, Peru] Card
=Coronidia ecuadorensis Strand, 1911 var. of difficilis
Homidiana aeneophlebia (Hampson, Novitates Zoologia 25:374) (originally in Homidia) Card
Homidiana anilina Bryk, 1930 [Type locality Bolivia] Card
Homidiana brachyura Hampson, Novit. Zool. 25:373 (originally in Coronidia subg. (Homidiana)) Card
Homidiana briseis (Westwood, 1879) (originally in Coronidia) Card
Homidiana canace Hopffer, 1856 [5] [6] Card
=Coronidia aeola Westwood, 1879 Card
=Coronidia paulina Westwood, 1879 Card
=Coronis cana Hopffer, 1856 Card
Homidiana egina (Blanchard, 1849) (originally in Coronidia) Card
=Homidiana nicaraguana Westwood, 1879 Card
Homidiana evenus Boisduval, 1849
=Coronis ducatrix Schaufuss, 1870 Card
=Homidia subevenus Strand, 1911 Card
Homidiana gueneei (Druce, 1891) (originally in Coronidia) [Type locality Panama, Mexico] Card
Homidiana hoppi (Bryk, 1930) (originally in Coronidia) [type locality Colombia] Card
Homidiana leachi (Godart, 1819) (originally in Ag[u]arista) [Type locality Brazil] Card
=Homidiana japet (Blanchard, 1849) (originally in Coronis) [Type locality Brazil] Card
Homidiana lederi Pfeiffer, 1925 [Type locality Macas, Ecuador] Card
Homidiana leucosticta Hampson, 1918 (originally in Coronidia subg. Homidia) [Type locality Peru] Card
Homidiana strandi Pfeiffer, 1916 [Type locality Peru] Card
Homidiana monotona (Hampson, 1918) (originally in Coronidia) [type locality Huaylas, Peru] Card
Homidiana restincta Strand, 1911 [type locality Macas, Ecuador] (originally in Homidia) Card
Homidiana rosina (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875) (originally in Coronis) [type locality Bogota, Colombia]) Card
=Coronidia columbiana Westwood, 1879 Card
Homidiana rubrivena (Dognin, 1919) (originally in Coronidia) [type locality Colombia] Card
Homidiana subpicta Walker, 1854 as "Coronidia subpicta" [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] as "Coronidia subpicta" Card
=Coronidia biblina Westwood, 1879 Card
=Homidiana echenais Hopffer, 1856 [12] Card
=Coronidia granadina Westwood, 1879 Card
Homidiana tangens (Strand, 1911) (originally in Homidia) [Type locality Macas, Ecuador] Card
Homidiana traducta (Strand, 1911) (originally in Homidia) [Type locality 2–3000 m. Chaco, Bolivia] Card
Homidiana westwoodi Oberthür, 1881 (originally in Coronis) [Type locality Manazales, Colombia] Card
Mania aegisthus Fabricius, 1781 [Jamaica/Surinam] [13] "Nothus" species Card
=Mania lunigeraria Hübner, 1823 [1825] Card
=Sematura excavatus Walker, 1854 Card
=Sematura phoebe Guenée, 1857 Card
Mania diana Guenée, 1857 [Rio de Janeiro] Card
Mania lunus Linnaeus, 1758 [14] Card
=Sematura actaeon Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874 Card
=Mania caudilunaria Hübner, 1823 [1925] Card
Mania empedocles Cramer, 1782 [Type locality Surinam] [15] Card
=Sematura selene Guenée, 1857 Dyer/Gentry/"Sematura luna" [16] Card
=Mania empedoclaria Hübner, 1823 Card
Anurapteryx beckeri (Druce, 1897) (originally in Coronidia) [Type locality Mexico, near Durangs City] Card
Anurapteryx brueckneri Hering, 1928 Card
Anurapteryx crenulata Barnes & Lindsey, 1919 [Type locality Paradise, Arizona] Card Image
Anurapteryx flavidorsata (Hampson, 1918) (originally in Homidia) [no card]
Anurapteryx gephyra Hering, 1928 [Type locality Guatemala] Card
Anurapteryx interlineata (Walker, 1854) [Central and South America, no type locality given] (originally in Coronis)Card
=Anurapteryx abbreviata (Maassen, 1890) (originally in Coronis) [Type locality Banos, Ecuador, 1800 m.] Card
=Anurapteryx meticulosa Pief, Ent. Zt. 31:7 (originally in ?(Type locality West Colombia, Rio Aguacabal, 2000 m., by Fassl) Card
Anurapteryx insolita (Strand, 1911) (originally in Homidia) [No type locality] Card
Anurapteryx montana Beutelspacher, 1984 [Type locality Mexico] Card
Anurapteryx ribbei (Druce, 1891) (originally in Coronidia) [Type locality Chiriqui, Panama] Card
Lonchotura fassli Pfeiffer, Ent. Zt. 31:7, Pl. (originally in ?) [Type locality West Colombia, Rio Aguacabal, by Fassl] Card
Lonchotura ocylus (Boisduval, 1870) (originally in Coronis) [Type locality Guatemala] Card
=Lonchotura dutreuxi Deyrolle, 1874 (originally in Coronis) [Type locality Costa Rica] Card
=Lonchotura peruviana Hering, 1928 (originally in ?) [Type locality Chachamayo, Peru] Card
Lonchotura genevana Westwood, 1879 (originally in Coronidia) [Type locality Mexico] Card