Lymantriini

This tribe is possibly the most weakly defined of those presented here, and only Lymantria Hübner can be assigned to it with confidence. Definition is based mainly on facies and the lack of an areole in the forewing venation. The tribe also lacks all the strongly definitive features of the other tribes.

The forewing facies is one of repetitive, dark, lunulate or zig-zag fasciation on a paler ground. The cell has interior and exterior V-shaped marks broken by the veins, and, basal to these, a dot, streak or ring in the orbicular stigma position just distal to the antemedial. There is often a strong row of dark marginal flecks or triangles in the spaces on both wings, and the hindwing margin (in males at least) is more frequently angled than in other tribes. The thorax and abdomen may also have dark spots.

There is no areole in the forewing except in Psilochira Toxopeus, where it is small. R5 branches off Rs distal to R2 in Lymantria but basal to it in the other genera. The presence of an areole is variable in other tribes, but it is also absent in (See Nygmiini n.) Ferguson (1978) included the nygmiine Euproctis Hübner in his Lymantriini.

There are no distinctive features in the male or female genitalia, though the former lack any gnathus and the latter have a bicornute signum in the bursa, seen also in the Orgyiini and Nygmiini.

The larva may have anterior and posterior hair pencils, but lacks dorsal brushes. Only those of Lymantria are known amongst the included genera, and these were described in detail for Indian species by Gardner (1938), as discussed below.