Drepanidae  

Introduction:

The Drepanidae comprise about 650 species divided into three subfamilies, which in the past were often treated as separate families because they differ considerably in morphology(Minet and Scoble 1998). Drepanidae are sometimes called the hook tip moths,but this name really applies only to the subfamily Drepaninae. The most striking character uniting the Drepanidae is the pair ultrasound-detecting tympanal organs (“ears”) on the anterior region of the abdomen, which differ in a characteristic way from those of all other Lepidoptera with abdominal “ears”. A detailed illustrated account of drepanid hearing organs can be found in Scoble (1982), and an image of these structures can be found here. As is the case for other Lepidoptera with similar structures, the primary function of the ultrasound hearing organs in Drepanidae appears to be detection of bat predators (Surlykke et al. 2003).  

The drepanid subfamilies can be characterized as follows (Minet and Scoble 1998). 

 The Cyclidiinae contain less than 15 species in just two or three genera, all restricted to the Oriental region. The moths are slender, white with dark stripes, and geometrid-like. Some excellent images of live Cyclidia adults and larvae can be found here.

 Thyatira batis

 The Thyatirinae include about 50 genera and 200 species. They are widely distributed, occurring in the Holarctic and Oriental regions as well as Africa, New Guinea and the neotropics. The moths are robust, generally drab in color though often bearing large spots on the wings. They resemble noctuids, folding the wings in tent-like fashion over the body at rest. Some excellent images of live Thyatira adults and larvae can be found at jpmoths.org. 

 Drepana arcuata

 
 
  The Drepaninae comprise about 450 species in about 70 genera. They are very widespread, absent only from the Neotropical region and from New Zealand, but most diverse in Asia and the Oriental region. The moths are delicate and geometrid-like, and often have hook-shaped forewing tips. In larvae of Drepaninae, the anal prolegs (the terminal pair) are greatly reduced and lack the crochets typical of macrolepidopteran caterpillars, while the so-called anal shield is expanded into a long, pointed process. In contrast, the anal prolegs are fully developed in Cyclidiinae and only somewhat reduced in Thyatirinae. Some excellent images of live Drepaninae adults and larvae can be found here, of species including Tridrepana crocea, which shows the anal shield extension very clearly.

Diversity description:

Drepanidae are divided into three subfamilies, which can be characterized as follows (Minet and Scoble 1998).  

The Thyatirinae include about 50 genera and 200 species. They are widely distributed, occurring in the Holarctic and Oriental regions as well as Africa, New Guinea and the neotropics. 

The Cyclidiinae contain less than 15 species in just two or three genera. 

The Drepaninae comprise about 450 species in about 70 genera. They are very widespread, most diverse in Asia and the Oriental region, absent only from the Neotropical region and from New Zealand. 

Scoble and Edwards (1988) also assigned to Drepanidae the six species of the Australian genus Hypsidia, but did not place this genus to subfamily. Subsequent authors have argued that it belongs in Thyatirinae (Holloway 1998, Minet 2002). 

Altogether, then, the Drepanidae comprise about 650 species.

Geographic Range:

Nearctic, Palearctic, Oriental, Ethiopian, Neotropical, Australian

Geographic Range description:

While the family as a whole is very widespread, species diversity is concentrated in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World (Scoble 1982).

Geographic Distribution:

While the family as a whole is very widespread, species diversity is especially concentrated in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World (Scoble 1982).

Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Oswaldia muscaria is endoparasitoid of larva of Thyatiridae