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The tribe Lithinini has been defined and investigated for the New World
by Rindge (1986), who included as synonym the Lacariini of Orfila &
Schajovskoy (1959). He cited difficulty in defining the group as
monophyletic in terms of shared apomorphic features of the adults and suggested
that only a study of early stages will lead to definitive characterisation of
the group. It is currently under intensive study by Dr J.D. Weintraub.
Holloway (1987) studied Old World members of the tribe, which occurs in
Africa, Australasia, New Zealand and the Holarctic. There is one widespread
Indo-Australian tropical genus, Nadagara Walker, that has several species
in Borneo. Holloway drew attention to the virtual restriction of larval diet to
ferns, though there was no information on host-plants for the numerous South
American genera treated by Rindge: at the time of writing this is being
investigated by Dr. Weintraub, and will be reported on shortly. Fern feeding
occurs rarely in the ditrysian Lepidoptera, notable examples occurring in the
Satyrinae, amphipyrine Noctuidae (e.g. Callopistria Hübner, Conservula
Grote) and the family Callidulidae.
Rindge divided New World genera into two sections. The first includes
the N. American and Holarctic genera referred to also by Holloway (1987). The
second section consists of mostly S. American genera. The concept of Lithinini
in Holloway (1987) is more strictly applicable to the first section of Rindge.
The second section includes the Lacariini.
The tribe shows more generally distributed ennomine characters such as a
hair pencil on the male hind tibia (see Sato, 1984a) and a transverse setal comb
on the third sternite of the male abdomen.
The male antennae are simple, filiform, lacking ciliae (prismatic) in
most genera. The forewing has one or two accessory cells or areoles associated
with the radial veins. The moths are usually grey or pale brown, their build
delicate. The wings have simple fasciae, punctate on the veins. On the underside
of the hindwing there is a strong discal spot, though this feature is weak on
the forewing or absent. The male genitalia are somewhat elongate, the valves
with the costa adjacent to the tegumen, sometimes apically produced. The
transtilla is often distinctly triangular. The juxta is associated with lateral
furcal projections that terminate in a cluster of spines or cristae. Weak socii
are present. The aedeagus vesica usually has a small number of large cornuti,
often two. In the female, the bursa copulatrix is long with a signum that is
typically an elongate ridge, band or strip.
The eggs are characterised by columnar rows of polygonal cells separated
by longitudinal ridges (Salkeld, 1983). The larvae are characterised by six
external setae on the abdominal proleg, and an unusual escape reaction, falling
from the host-plant, rapidly coiling and uncoiling (J.S. Dugdale, in. litt.;
J. Weintraub, pers. comm.).
In addition to Nadagara, a monotypic new genus, endemic to
Borneo, is tentatively included here. Entomopteryx Guenée was included
with reservations, but these have been largely dispelled by the discovery of its
larva feeding on a fern in Brunei (See Nadagara
Walker).
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