Eriopinae

19. Eriopinae View in CoL View at ENA were previously classified within Noctuinae as the tribe Eriopini ( Ronkay et al. 2001) , and molecular analyses by Mitchell et al. (2006) positioned Eriopinae as a putative sister group to Bryophilinae . Keegan et al. (2021) reported weak support for its recognition as a distinct subfamily, noting its placement within Noctuinae . The larvae are obligate fern-feeders, which is uncommon. The striking similarity in external morphology and genitalia, Eriopinae difficult to identify ( Kononenko & Pinratana 2013). Eriopinae exhibit some characteristics typical of Noctuinae , such as a hair-like SD1 seta on larval A9, but also possess features that are atypical for Noctuinae , including a pair of flaps at the end of the larval spinneret, a trait highly unusual even within Noctuidae ( Keegan et al. 2021) .