Pantheinae

Holloway (1985) covered this subfamily in part but, because of problems in developing a clear definition of it, and thus establishing its extent, several potential genera were omitted. Kobes (1985) covered a similar set of genera in the slightly more diverse Sumatran fauna. However, he later (Kobes, 1992) brought in three further genera from the traditional Ophiderinae, namely Baorisa Moore, Trisula Moore and Donda Moore, though he left Belciana Walker in the Ophiderinae.

Holloway (2005) and Kononenko & Pinratana (2005) supported the transference of these genera to the ‘trifine’ clade and added Belciana, Sundwarda Swinhoe and Ortopla Walker to this list, though Kononenko & Pinratana placed Belciana and Donda in their Acronictinae, together with Antitrisuloides Holloway, described in the Pantheinae by Holloway (1985).

Holloway (2005) also identified the genus Cyclodes Guenée and the Arcte Kollar group of genera as further potential pantheines, though he defined the Pantheinae in a very broad sense as ‘quadrifine’ members of the ‘trifine’ clade with features such as: reduced phragma lobes between the first and second abdominal tergites; a scaled lower clypeofrons; dark and pale rings to the tarsal segments of the legs; a sinuous pale fascia within the darker border of the hindwing, with the strongest flexure at the tornus; larvae with all abdominal prolegs developed. The larvae in most genera appear hairy, but this effect is produced by prominence of the primary setae only in Cyclodes, the Arcte group and Donda. However, secondary setae on verrucae are present in Belciana, Trisula and Trisuloides Moore, the last a pantheine genus first recorded for Borneo by Martini & Thöny (1993).

There is still no useful definition of the Pantheinae, though Hacker & Zilli (2007) reviewed characters in a number of groups, including the Pantheinae, when proposing their new subfamily Thiacidinae (possibly with the inclusion of Trisula; see p. 10). Again, no clear apomorphies became apparent. Therefore, the concept of Pantheinae applied here is that of a useful, but potentially paraphyletic assemblage of genera that appear to be relatively basal within the trifine clade, as indicated in Lofontaine & Fibiger (2006: fig 27). It is presented in the hope that it will provide a focus for future research.