Language: German with bilingual summary in English and German
A new phylogenetic system of the Sesiidae (Lepidoptera) is presented as a result of a clarification of their nomenclature, identification of the taxonomically valid type-species, and through comparative morphological studies of the genital apparatus and the tracheal veins of the wings.
The existence of apomorph structures indicates a monophyletic origin of the Sesiidae; their derivation is still obscure. The use of a scanning electron-microscope provided a new understanding of the morphology of the sensory hairs of the genital valves. It was applied to a phylogenetic analysis of the Sesiini and Paranthrenini.
The Sesiidae of the Holarctic are subdivided into the two subfamilies Tinthiinae and Sesiinae. They are recognized phylogenetically as two sister groups. A new catalogue of the holarctic genera and type-species of the Sesiidae is given and includes the accepted synonymes of the genera and species under discussion.