Nyctemera is a genus of tiger moths in the Erebidae family. The genus includes the species Nyctemera annulata and Nyctemera amica, which are closely related and are able to interbreed.

Description

They are medium-sized moths, the adults having a wingspan of 35–45 millimetres (1.4–1.8 in). The wings are usually dark with lighter patches, while the body is often aposematically coloured to discourage birds and other visual predators from eating them.

Palpi porrectly upturned. Antennae bipectinate in both sexes, where branches short in females. Fore wing with vein 3 from before the angle of cell, vein 5 from above it and vein 6 from upper angle. Vein 7 and 10 from short areole which is formed by the anastomosis of veins 8 and 9. Hind wings with vein 3 from before end of cell and vein 5 from angle or from above it. Veins 6 and 7 stalked or from upper angle. Vein 8 from before middle of all.

Ecology

The slow-flying moths can often be seen feeding at flowers; it is common around its preferred food plants of the daisy family, for example groundsel (and other Senecio spp.), ragworts and Cineraria. The colourful hairy larvae feed openly on the plants, often stripping off all the leaves. The mature larvae will sometimes wander from the plant to pupate. The loosely spun cocoon incorporates some of the larval hairs and may also be found amongst leaves.

Taxonomy

Several species formerly placed here are now assigned to other genera. These include Utetheisa (containing Atasca, Pitasila and Raanya, erstwhile subgenera of Nyctemera), the revalidated Chiromachla, Podomachla and Xylecata, and the newly established Afronyctemera.


Magpie Moth (Nyctemera secundiana) found in Central Queensland, Australia


Magpie Moth (Nyctemera annulata) caterpillar feeding on ragwort in Wellington, New Zealand


Magpie Moth (Nyctemera annulata) cocoon


Marbled white moth (Nyctemera coleta) from the Philippines

Species

Nyctemera angustipenis
Nyctemera arctata
Nyctemera montata
Nyctemera browni
Nyctemera consobriniformis
Nyctemera gratia
Nyctemera hyalina
Nyctemera kinabaluensis
Nyctemera kishidai
Nyctemera lunulata
Nyctemera luzonensis
Nyctemera owadai
Nyctemera palawanica
Nyctemera robusta
Nyctemera toxopei
Nyctemera undulata
Nyctemera coleta
Nyctemera groenendaeli
Nyctemera carissima
Nyctemera evergista
Nyctemera gerra
Nyctemera luzonica
Nyctemera maculata
Nyctemera muelleri
Nyctemera swinhoei
Nyctemera contrasta
Nyctemera dentifascia
Nyctemera herklotsii
Nyctemera luctuosa
Nyctemera ludekingii
Nyctemera simulatrix
Nyctemera amicus
Nyctemera annulata
Nyctemera baulus
Nyctemera cenis
Nyctemera kala
Nyctemera kebeae
Nyctemera lacticinia
Nyctemera kebeae
Nyctemera latemarginata
Nyctemera latistriga
Nyctemera mastrigti
Nyctemera obtusa
Nyctemera pagenstecheri
Nyctemera pseudokala
Nyctemera sonticum
Nyctemera warmasina
Nyctemera clathratum
Nyctemera dauila
Nyctemera giloloensis
Nyctemera latimargo
Nyctemera leopoldi
Nyctemera mesolychna
Nyctemera oninica
Nyctemera adversata
Nyctemera apensis
Nyctemera calcicola
Nyctemera clarior
Nyctemera distincta
Nyctemera kiauensis
Nyctemera kinibalina
Nyctemera lugens
Nyctemera malaccana
Nyctemera ploesslo
Nyctemera popiya
Nyctemera radiata
Nyctemera regularis
Nyctemera sumatrensis
Nyctemera tenompoka
Nyctemera tripunctaria
Nyctemera trita
Nyctemera formosana (mostly placed as a synonym of Nyctemera carissima)
Nyctemera genora
Nyctemera immitans
Nyctemera quaternarium
Nyctemera itokina
Nyctemera chalcosidia
Nyctemera gracilis
Nyctemera insulare
Nyctemera leuconoe
Nyctemera pallescens
Nyctemera perspicua
Nyctemera restrictum
Nyctemera seychellensis
Nyctemera torbeni
Nyctemera transitella
Nyctemera acraeina
Nyctemera antinorii
Nyctemera apicalis
Nyctemera arieticornis
Nyctemera chromis
Nyctemera insularis
Nyctemera usambarae
Nyctemera virgo
Nyctemera biformis
Nyctemera crassiantennata
Nyctemera druna
Nyctemera glauce
Nyctemera hemixantha
Nyctemera rattrayi
Nyctemera ugandicola
Nyctemera uniformis
Nyctemera xanthura
Main articles on Nyctemera taxonomy

de Vos, R. 1994 : Nyctemera groenendaeli spec. nov. from New Guinea (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae, Nyctemerina). Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo, N.F. 15 (4): 481-489.
de Vos, R. 1995: A revision of Nyctemera consobrina (Hopffer, 1874) with redescription of three subspecies (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae, Nyctemerinae). Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo, N.F. 16 (1): 81-93.
de Vos, R. 1996: Nyctemera pseudokala sp. nov. and N. mastrigti sp. nov., two new species from Indonesia (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae, Nyctemerinae). Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo, N.F. 17 (3): 301-311.
de Vos, R. 1997: A revision of Nyctemera kebeae (Bethune-Baker, 1904) (with descriptions of two new subspecies) and N. warmasina (Bethune-Baker, 1910) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae, Nyctemerinae). Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo, N.F. 18 (1): 1-12.
de Vos, R. 1997: The identity of Nyctemera simulatrix Walker, 1864 (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae, Nyctemerinae). Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo, N.F. 18 (2-3): 205-210.
de Vos, R. 2002: Revision of the Nyctemera evergista group (=subgenus Deilemera Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae, Arctiinae, Nyctemerini). Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo, N.F. 23 (1/2): 7-32.
de Vos, R. 2007: Revision of the Nyctemera clathratum complex (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae). Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 150: 39-54.
de Vos, R. 2007: The Utetheisa species of the subgenera Pitasila, Atasca and Raanya subgen. n. (Insecta, Lepidoptera: Arctiidae). Aldrovandia 3: 31-120.
de Vos, R., Černý, K. 1999: A review of the Philippine species of the genus Nyctemera Hübner, with descriptions of new species and subspecies (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae, Nyctemerinae). Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo, N.F. 20 (2): 133-188.
de Vos, R., Dubatolov, V.V. 2010: Nyctemerini. In: Dubatolov, V.V., Tiger-moths of Eurasia (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae). Neue Entomologische Nachrichten 65: 11-18.
Dubatolov, V.V. 2006: On the generic status of the Afrotropical Nyctemera species (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae). Atalanta 37 (1/2): 191-205.

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