Tribe Rheumapterini Herbulot, 1961

(Figs 62–63, 65–71)

Herbulot (1961) separated the tribe without a diagnosis. Large dark-coloured moths with distally dentate-edged hind wings have always been kept together in check-lists. However, there are three distinct groups of genera: the Rheumaptera informal group of related genera, the large-sized troglophilous species of Triphosini, both are treated below as tribes Rheumapterini and Triphosini, respectively. The third, Phileremini consists of a few Palaearctic species with several specific traitsas listed below.

The tribe Rheumapterini shows a long list of apomorphic characters: juxta dorsal part rooted in the basal part of it (Figs 62–65); a slender sclerite present between juxta, saccus and bases of sacculi (Fig. 62). It is not clear whether this sclerite is analogous to that in Cataclysmini; The rheumapterine genera are characterized here by: wide posterior sclerotisation of female genitalia (possibly shared with Melanthiini ?) (Figs 66–68); uncus heavily sclerotized, broad, flat, triangular, trapezoidal or cupola- shaped (skinny soft and hairy in Melanthiini); both costal and saccular ornamentations of valva present (like also in Melanthiini); labides arise from the base of costa, are connected by a membrane, supported by a median sclerite, long, headed, reaching uncus (Figs 62–65); dorsal parts of vinculum flattened and invaginated into bases of valvae; presence of coremata associated with membranization of the eighth abdominal segment in male and large masses of deciduous hair-scales (Fig. 71).

Some apomorphic characters of subclades occur within the tribe, such as: shortening of spurs on male hind tibia; rich vestiture of male hind tibia associated with shortened and thickened tibia, and the basal tarsomere (Figs 69, 70); the presence of blotches of specialized scales in wings of male; posterior sclerotization of female genitalia; fusion of cornuti in male aedeagus and signa in female bursa copulatrix into conglomerates.

Distribution: Neotropical, Holarctic.