Abstract Our study revises Epidesmiinae, the first new Geometridae subfamily that has been described in 127 years. We studied the morphological characters of representatives from all genera currently classified into Epidesmiinae, and compared those with all other geometrid subfamilies. Epidesmiinae were found to have an Australasian distribution, with one species occurring in the Indo-Malayan realm. They compose a lineage diagnosable by a combination of the following morphological characters: male antennae unipectinate; labial palps elongated (particularly the second segment), vom Raths’s organ with an elliptical invagination; forewing with two areoles; hindwing with one anal vein; gnathos arms fused, granulate or dentate apically; female genitalia with two signa, one stellate, another an elongated and spinose plate. We also present a summary of diagnostic characters of all geometrid subfamilies, which confirm the lack of single unique morphological characters. The limited information on the biology and ecology of Epidesmiinae species are summarized, indicating that some species fly during the day, most adult records are from the Southern Hemisphere summer months and larvae are found on Myrtaceae. We transfer Arcina Walker, 1863 from Oenochrominae s.l. to Epidesmiinae. Epidesmiinae includes 102 species that are now classified into nine genera: Abraxaphantes, Adeixis, Arcina, Dichromodes, Ecphyas, Epidesmia, Phrataria, Phrixocomes and Systatica.