Publ. IS. XI. 1029. 
URANIIDAE. By Dr. A. Seitz. 
93 
Family: Uraniidae. 
Since the time when this family was introduced in Vol. II (p. 275), opinions have utterly changed as 
to its classification. It is evident now that at least 2 if not more — families had been entirely confused, 
and it is to this mistake that the quite untenable classification in the other Heterocera-volumes is due. Above 
all, the insertion between the Sphingidae and Notodontidae is entirely unjustified, for which reason we have 
ranged the family here, at a neutral place, so as to remove it from its place between the Sphingidae and Noto¬ 
dontidae which, in fact, according to recent notions, are very closely allied to each other; it stands here quite 
isolated, too, showing neither relations to the Arctiidae nor to the Syntomidae, so that we insert it without 
a number. 
The family has been differently divided up by the various authors. Hampson separates the Sematura 
and Coronidia from the family and places them beside the Saturniidae which, in their genus Gopiopteryx, 
exhibit a habitus not dissimilar to that of the Sematura. 
It is almost impossible to supply a general description of a family lacking every uniformity and being 
composed of quite heterogeneous elements; we therefore refer the readers to the words introductory to the 
different divisions. We can merely point out here the contrasts quite unparalleled in our system between both 
the genera and the groups of genera of the Uraniidae. There are lepidoptera with diurnal habits and exhibiting 
the most magnificent golden green colourings occurring in all the faunae: Chrysiridia in Africa, Urania in 
America, and Alcidis in Indo-Australia, opposed by typical nocturnal insects with dull dark brown colours: 
Sematura in America and Nyctalemon in India. All of them are large insects, contrary to the Epiplema from 
all the warm zones, which are very small and resemble our smallest European Geometrids. Another peculiar 
group is formed by the Microniinae which have recently been separated from the family by Dalla Torre. 
Both their habits and their exterior are utterly unlike those of any of the other genera, whereas their habitus 
is somewhat similar to that of certain American Saturniidae (Asthenidia etc.) which, in their turn, are entirely 
unlike the other Saturnid genus Gopiopteryx resembling the Sematura. We find doubles of this genus ( Urap- 
teroides) again among the palaearctic Geometrids, i. e. the Urapteryx- group which resembles most of the 
Microniinae not only externally but still much more in their habits. Like the Urapterygidae, the Microniinae 
sit among the green leaves of trees, from where they are chased up by the least alarming noise, dashing away 
in large bows and settling again superficially, with their slightly raised wings widely spread on leaves; only 
when dawn sets in they come forth in order to fly spontaneously. 
This enormous difference of the components of the family is utterly contrasted by an extraordinary 
homogeneousness of the species within the different genera. All the Chrysiridia and Urania are Papilio- shaped, 
black, white-fringed diurnal insects decorated with green bands. — All the Nyctalemon are very large, broad- 
tailed, almost uniformly dark brown nocturnal insects. — All the Sematura are brown-veined, wood-coloured 
nocturnal insects with spatulate tails. — All the Micronia are white lepidoptera with pointed, dull dark- 
striped wings, flying in the dusk. — All the Epiplema — more than 250 — are very small, light or pale, very 
delicate moths resembling tiny Geometrids and peculiarly rolling up their wings when at rest. — All the 
Coronidia and the genera recently separated from this genus only contain insects with dark brown markings 
on the forewings and with a blue, red, yellow, white or other decorative band in the median area of the hindwing. 
X 12a 
