Megalopygidae
| Megalopygidae | ||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Megalopygidae | ||||||||||
| Herrich-Schäffer , 1855 |
The Megalopygidae are a family of butterflies (Lepidoptera). With 230 species, they are predominantly found in the Neotropic , but eleven species are also found in the Nearctic . Species of the genus Somabrachys occur in North Africa , closely related genera are found in South Africa . The family is close with the screw spinners used (Limacodidae), with whom they share some characteristics. The family monophyly is not unequivocally justified. The subfamily Aidinae, like the Somabrachyidae , has recently been regarded as a separate family Aididae .
features
The small to medium-sized moths look very similar to the snail spiders. The forewings are vividly colored, gray or white in many species. Their abdomen is short, pointed and very hairy. Because of this, some species are more or less similar to bumblebees . In addition to the compound eyes , the animals have no point eyes ( ocelli ). The palps are either very small or very regressed, and the suction pipe is missing in many species and is formed only stunted. The antennae of the males are either completely pinnate, pinnate at the base or flattened thread-like. The females have only weakly feathered or thread-like antennae. The wing veins are usually well developed. The cores R forms a branch from which the cores Rs1 to 4 branch off. In the genus Somabrachys , the females are wingless ( apter ).
The caterpillars of many species are very thick and long hairy and in extreme cases look like elongated tassels. Your hair ( stinging hair ) causes severe pain and a burning sensation that lasts for several days. Their venom can also cause headaches , nausea, and even paralysis in people. In addition to the pusher , pairs of belly legs sit not only on the third to sixth, but also on the second and seventh abdominal segments, which is very unusual for caterpillars. In most species, however, the two additional leg attachments have no trained outer soles.
Way of life
The females cover their round eggs with hair from the end of their abdomen. They are placed in pairs in rows on the forage plants. The caterpillars feed on a variety of different plants. How far the polyphagia is pronounced has not yet been sufficiently clarified. Pupation takes place either in a tough or loose cocoon . Hair is woven into the hairy caterpillars. The caterpillars of some species apply to different plants, such as B. cocoa , guava or palm trees as pests.
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Niels P. Kristensen: Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies . In: Maximilian Fischer (Ed.): Handbook of Zoology . 1st edition. tape 4 - Arthropoda: Insecta , volume 35. de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1998, ISBN 3-11-015704-7 (English).
- ↑ a b c Malcolm J. Scoble: The Lepidoptera: Form, Function and Diversity . Oxford University Press, Oxford 1995, ISBN 0-19-854952-0 (English).
