Phylogenomics of Prominent Moths (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae): A Subfamily-Level Reclassification

We present the first taxonomically comprehensive phylogenomic dataset for Notodontidae with the aim of stabilizing subfamily classification. Conflicting classifications of Notodontidae have confounded the understanding of this diverse group (more than 4,700 described species), partly because taxonomic and geographic sampling has been limited and morphological homoplasy is widespread. We note less rampant homoplasy in larvae and highlight larval characters wherever possible in addressing subfamily diagnostics. This study incorporates as many as 854 anchored hybrid enrichment loci from 150 species. Our dataset is the first to include taxa from all continents where Notodontidae occur as well as type genera and (when possible) type species of all previously recognized subfamilies. Our genomic dataset is analyzed using maximum likelihood, multispecies coalescent, and parsimony phylogenetic methods. We recognize 21 subfamilies, 4 of which are given new names based on phylogenomic analyses corroborated by morphological diagnoses: Chadisrinae St Laurent and Schintlmeister, subfam. nov.; Peratodontinae St Laurent and Goldstein, subfam. nov.; Teleclitinae St Laurent and Goldstein, subfam. nov.; and Shachiinae St Laurent and Goldstein, subfam. nov. An additional two subfamilies are elevated from tribes of Heterocampinae: Lusurinae Thiaucourt, stat. nov. and Hapigiinae Franclemont and Miller, stat. nov. Heterocampinae Neumoegen and Dyar is recognized to include two cosmopolitan tribes: Neodrymoniaini Kobayashi, stat. rev. and Heterocampini Neumoegen and Dyar. The following family-group names are synonymized: Ptilodontinae Grote and Robinson, syn. rev. and Ptilophorinae Matsumura, syn. rev. with Notodontinae Stephens and Rosemini Forbes, syn. nov. with Hemiceratinae Guenée. The largely diurnal group Dioptinae Walker, syn. nov. is nested within Nystaleinae Forbes. The rarely used and often overlooked name and authorship Anaphinae Sharpe, 1890 is maintained. Our results also support the following generic changes: Eutrotonotus Gaede, syn. nov. (a synonym of Clostera Samouelle); Erconholda Kiriakoff, stat. rev. (formerly subgenus of Phalera Hübner); and Antheua atrata (Grünberg), comb. nov. (formerly placed in Phalera). Two further genera are newly synonymized with Scevesia: Narriocampa Thiaucourt, syn. nov. and Haxairella Thiaucourt, syn. nov. We provide a checklist of 659 valid genera for all Notodontidae, with subfamily-level assignments.