Aventiinae

This group was discussed briefly by Holloway (2008: 23-25) in connection with the Trisatelini, placed as a synonym of the Herminiinae or the Phytometrinae respectively by Fibiger & Lafontaine (2005) and Fibiger & Hacker (2005). The Trisatelini share no distinctive features with either of those groups but possess most of those used to define the Aventiinae below. The family-group name Trisatelini is therefore placed formally here in synonymy with Aventiinae, syn. n.

The Aventiinae prove, on examination of many Bornean genera (including some geographically widespread through the Old World, a few extending to  temperate latitudes), to embrace a majority of those traditionally assigned to the Acontiinae (e.g. Nye, 1975), once the true Acontiinae (p. 42) and Eustrotiinae (p. 61) have been removed. These last two groups are now regarded as basal groups of true noctuids (or Noctuinae) as discussed earlier (see also Lafontaine & Fibiger (2006)). The Aventiinae may also include the Eublemminae and the Saroba Walker group of genera of Holloway (2005). The name Aventiinae has priority over Eublemminae (Speidel & Naumann, 2005; Lafontaine & Fibiger, 2006).

The group can be defined primarily on features of the female genitalia, and these may reflect somewhat less consistent features of those of the male, suggestive of a common copulatory system. There are also several other features found widely through the group that, though they may not be unique to it, could provide some further support for its monophyly.

The female features are: significant reduction in length or loss of apodemes on the eighth abdominal segment; an ostium at the anterior of the eighth segment  flanked by pouches between it and the apodemes, or set in a pouch or pocket between the eighth and seventh segments; a slight coil or curl at the base or the corpus bursae (shared with Eublemminae; Fibiger & Lafontaine (2005) regarded this as an apomorphy for that group). The male features are in the valve of the genitalia, where two or more processes occur transversely across the centre from the apex of the sacculus to that of the valve costa, with the valve cucullus beyond that transition often being reduced, flimsy, with flexure at the transition, and usually bearing sparse setation throughout. These male features were discussed in relation to the Saroba group of genera by Holloway (2005), and show a range of development within it as they do in the smaller Aventiinae treated here. The female features are shared across these two groups as well.

The Eublemminae have apodemes of normal length on the female eighth segment, and the ostium is not accompanied by significant pockets or pouching. The valves of the male genitalia are usually very narrow, with one or two processes or flaps across the centre of the valve, the larger of which is often setose. It is not clear if these are homologous with the processes in the Aventiinae because of their reduction and primarily central position; reduction in Aventiinae usually leads to saccular and costal ones remaining.

Various features of wing pattern are found frequently through the Aventiinae, such as: recurrence of much of the forewing pattern on the hindwing; a forewing postmedial that is sharply angled subcostally; bipunctate discal markings on all wings. These can also occur in members of the Saroba group and Eublemma Hübner.

The male eighth abdominal segment is usually of the framed, corematous type, but there are variations on this theme, and a few genera show modification of the basal sternal apodemes. The phragma lobes between the basal abdominal tergites are mostly small, some moderate.

The larvae of all the above groups are semi-loopers with the prolegs of A3 and A4 significantly reduced or lost. Some, including Trisateles Tams, have a distinctive secondary pubescence. Dietary requirements are diverse and sometimes bizarre. Laspeyria Germar, the type genus of Aventiinae, Corgatha Walker and possibly Enispa Walker browse on lichens and algae. Oruza Walker, species feed on dead foliage in common with Trisateles. Zurobata Walker and Ataboruza Gen. n. have larvae that feed as green defoliators, but may also feed on dead foliage, fungus, fern spores and even prey on Coccoidea. In contrast, another member of the Oruza generic complex, Eugnathia Warren, appears to be a specialist defoliator of young Smilax (Smilacaceae) foliage, with several species so recorded. Defoliation is also possibly the norm in Cerynea Walker, and Arasada Moore species feed on palm foliage. Common (1990) recorded an Australian species attributed to Enispa where the larvae live in spider webs, where they feed on dead leaves and remains of spider prey. Similar feeding diversity is seen in the Eublemminae (p. 161).

It is probable that the monobasic Selenoperas Hampson (Holloway, 2005: 444) should be placed with the Aventiinae, as it shares the diagnostic female characteristics and has small phragma lobes between the first and second abdominal tergite. The male genitalia are atypical, however. The relationship of the Pangraptini to the group is less clear and is discussed in the introduction to the Eublemminae (p. 159), with which the Pangraptini have been subordinated as a tribe by Fibiger & Lafontaine (2005) and Lafontaine & Fibiger (2006), despite Pangraptini being the older name. It would also have precedence over Aventiinae.

Holloway (2005: 336) suggested that there might be affinities between his Saroba group and the Boletobiini. Lafontaine & Fibiger (2006) treated the latter as the Boletobiinae, but, if Mycterophera Hulst is a boletobiine rather than a rivuline (Mitchell et al., 2006), it is interesting to note that the molecular tree of Mitchell et al. associates the genus with the Eublemmini.