September 12, 2025Open Access

Systematics and phylogenetic relationships of the Australian Agaristinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) based on morphology, including a revised checklist of the subfamily

Key Points

Cladistic analysis indicates several incongruences in the current classification of the Australian Agaristinae group.
The study confirms the monophyly of the Agaristinae subfamily despite unresolved relationships among many clades.
Most genera were found to be monophyletic, but several, including Zalissa and Leucogonia, are identified as non-monophyletic.
Revised synonymies provide new combinations for species, improving the taxonomy of Australian Agaristinae moths.

Abstract

The subfamily Agaristinae from Australia comprise a small group of largely diurnal and brightly coloured moths, but their phylogenetic relationships are largely unknown. Cladistic analysis of nearly all extant genera (20 out of 21, or 95%) and most described species (38 out of 45, or 84%) based on 39 male genitalic and adult morphological characters revealed several incongruencies with the current generic classification. Strict consensus and 50% majority rule analyses confirmed monophyly of the subfamily. The monotypic genus Cremnophora Hampson, 1901 (type species: Apina angasii Walker, 1855, a junior synonym and secondary homonym of Agrista sic angasii Angas, 1847) is excluded from the Agaristinae because the morphology of the male genitalia suggest it probably belongs in the Amphipyrinae. Except for a few species-groups, deep level relationships among most clades were largely unresolved. Most genera were monophyletic, but Zalissa Walker, 1865, Leucogonia Hampson, 1908, Argyrolepidia Hampson, 1901 and Idalima Turner, 1903 were all non-monophyletic. Sister-group relationships were recovered between the monotypic genera Apina Walker, 1855 and Agaristodes Hampson, 1908, and between Phalaenoides Lewin, 1805 and Comocrus Jordan, 1896. Morphological and other evidence suggest each of these pairs are congeneric; thus, we propose the following new combinations following synonymy of Agaristodes syn. nov. with Apina and Comocrus syn. nov. with Phalaenoides: Apina feisthamelii (Herrich-Schäffer, 1853) comb. nov. and Phalaenoides behri (Angas, 1847) comb. nov. Idalima (type species: Agarista affinis Boisduval, 1832) emerged as polyphyletic, with Idalima affinis (Boisduval, 1832) and Idalima metasticta Hampson, 1910 showing a closer relationship to Periscepta Turner, 1920 than to Idalima aethrias (Turner, 1908) or Idalima leonora (Doubleday, 1846). Thus, we synonymise Periscepta syn. nov. with Idalima and transfer Periscepta polysticta (Butler, 1875) and Periscepta butleri (Swinhoe, 1892) to this genus, resulting in the following new combinations: Idalima polysticta (Butler, 1875) comb. nov. and Idalima butleri (Swinhoe, 1892) comb. nov. A revised checklist of the Australian fauna is presented, including nomenclature for all valid subspecies.

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