Dalceridae

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Superfamilia: Zygaenoidea

Familia: Dalceridae
Subfamiliae: Acraginae – Dalcerinae

Genera: Acraga – Acragopsis – Anacraga – Ca – Dalargentina – Dalcera – Dalcerides – Dalcerina – Epipinconia – Minacraga – Minacragides – Minonoa – Oroya – Paracraga – Pinconia – Protacraga – Zadalcera – Zikanyrops
Name

Dalceridae Dyar, 1898

Type genus: Dalcera Herrich-Schäffer, 1854
Synonyms

Acragidae Hampson, 1918
Dalcerinae (Limacodidae) Janse, 1925
Dalcerinae (Megalopygidae) Tams, 1935

Acraga moorei

References

Miller, S.E., 1994: Systematics of the Neotropical moth family Dalceridae (Lepidoptera). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 153(4): 301–495.
Pitkin, B. & P. Jenkins. Butterflies and Moths of the World: Generic Names and their Type-species. Natural History Museum.[1]

Vernacular names
English: Tropical Slug Caterpillar Moths
中文: 亮蛾科

The Dalceridae are a small family of zygaenoid moths with some 80[verification needed] known species encompassing about one dozen genera mostly found in the Neotropical region with a few reaching the far south of the Nearctic region.

These are generally small or medium-sized moths with very hairy bodies. The larvae are rather slug-like and, along with the larvae of the sister taxa Limacodidae and Megalopygidae, are often known as slug caterpillars. More specifically, they are also called jewel caterpillars due to the colorful bead-like gelatinous mass covering the exoskeleton of many species.
larva of Acraga coa, showing gelatinous covering
Taxonomy and systematics

More than half the described species are in genus Acraga. Apart from this and Dalcerides, all genera have less than 10 known species as of 2016, and some are monotypic. Two subfamilies are usually recognized:

Subfamily Acraginae

Acraga (including Anacraga and Dalargentina)
Dalcerides (including Acragopsis)
Zikanyrops

Subfamily Dalcerinae

Ca
Dalcera
Dalcerina (including Zadalcera)
Minacraga
Minacragides
Minonoa
Oroya
Paracraga

The genus Protacraga, formerly placed here, is now usually assigned to the related family Epipyropidae whose caterpillars are usually parasites.