Apatelodidae, the American silkworm moths, is a family of insects in the order Lepidoptera. They are a family within the superfamily Bombycoidea, though they have in the past been considered a subfamily of the family Bombycidae.
Distribution Species are found exclusively in the New World, with the highest diversity in the Neotropical realm.
Diversity Apatelodidae is undergoing taxonomic and phylogenetic revision, as a result of which the exact numbers of genera and species included have been subject to frequent change. "A global checklist of the Bombycoidea" (Kitching et al. 2018) lists twelve genera and 182 species for the family.
Not included in the checklist are taxonomic changes that occurred shortly before, or since, publication. Some examples of such changes are the addition of genera Arotros (transferred from Bombycidae in 2019) and Asocia (newly described in 2021) to Apatelodidae, the synonymization of Apatelodes florisa to Apatelodes schreiteri, or the description of several new species such as Apatelodes navarroi, Pantelodes camacana, and seven new species of Arotros.
Taxonomy Apatelodidae has historically been placed as subfamily Apatelodinae within the Bombycidae, alongside Phiditiinae and Epiinae. Recent revisions of the taxonomy of Bombycoidea have seen both Apatelodidae and Phiditiidae elevated to separate families within the superfamily, while Epiinae remains a subfamily of Bombycidae. During those taxonomical revisions, several genera formerly placed in Apatelodinae—such as Anticla and Quentalia—were transferred to Epiinae.
Genera The following genera are recognised in the family Apatelodidae:Orlandin Elton, Piovesan Mônica, Carneiro Eduardo (2024) Systematics of Apatelodidae Neumoegen & Dyar, 1894 (Lepidoptera: Bombycoidea) based on molecular and morphological data. Invertebrate Systematics 38, IS24041. DOI: 10.1071/IS24041
Apatelodes Packard, 1864 Arotros Schaus, 1892 Asocia Herbin, 2021 Aymara Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Campesina Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Caribas Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Carnotena Walker, 1865 Cecile Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Crastolliana Herbin, 2024 Drepatelodes Draudt, 1929 Ephoria Herring-Schäffer, 1855 Falcatelodes Draudt, 1929 Hygrochroa Hübner, Kaweskar Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Lempira Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Misak Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Mocambo Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Nhanderu Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Olceclostera Butler, 1878 Pantelodes Herbin, 2017 Peabiru Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Prothysana Walker, 1855 Raoni Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Tamphana Schaus, 1892 Tapuia Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Thelosia Schaus, 1896 Thyrioclostera Draudt, 1929 Tibira Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Tupac Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Tuyvae Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024 Zanola Walker, 1855 Zapata Orlandin, Piovesan & Carneiro, 2024
References
External links ACG Page of images of Apatelodidae from Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica.