A revision of the New World Bistonini, (Lepidoptera, Geometridae). Bulletin of the AMNH ; v. 156, article 2

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Date

1975

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

New York : American Museum of Natural History

DOI

DOI

Abstract

"The Bistonini is a relatively small, compact group of geometrid moths found in the Holarctic region. In the New World they occur in Alaska, Canada, and the United States, and there is one known record from the State of Chihuahua, Mexico. The Nearctic species are placed in six genera; four of these also occur in the Old World. A total of 22 species are represented in our fauna; Cochisea undulata (Arizona), C. paula (California), C. unicoloris (California), C. recisa (California), and C. curva (California) are described as new. Keys to the genera and species are given, as are illustrations of the adults, their genitalia, and maps of their distribution. Some members of the tribe, including species of Biston and Phigalia for example, have melanic forms: these have been studied for 'industrial melanism.' At times some species are of economic importance as defoliators of woodlands and shade trees. Neither of these facets is covered intensively, as the present paper is intended as a revisionary study. However, I have included a number of references to these two fields of interest in order to call attention to their presence in the appropriate species. The possible phylogeny and distribution of the tribe is discussed, with the relationships of the New and Old World faunas being covered. A number of different morphological characters are treated, with some assigned as either primitive or derived. Three characters are presented that apparently were not known for the North American Geometridae. These are the presence of hairy eyes in Biston and Cochisea and the progressive reduction and loss of both the fore tibial process and the tympanic organs in the brachypterous and wingless females"--P. 73.

Description

p. 71-155 : ill., maps ; 26 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 150-155).

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