Pyralinae

The Pyralinae are the typical subfamily of snout moths (family Pyralidae) and occur essentially worldwide, in some cases aided by involuntary introduction by humans. They are rather rare in the Americas however, and their diversity in the Australian region is also limited. Altogether, this subfamily includes about 900 described species, but new ones continue to be discovered. Like many of their relatives in the superfamily Pyraloidea, the caterpillar larvae of many Pyralinae – and in some cases even the adults – have evolved the ability to use unusual foods for nutrition; a few of these can become harmful to humans as pests of stored goods.[1]

Pyralinae
Meal moth (Pyralis farinalis) imago (Pyralini)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Pyralidae
Subfamily:	Pyralinae Latreille, 1809
Type species
Phalaena (Pyralis) farinalis Linnaeus, 1758
Tribes
Endotrichini Hypotiini Pyralini and see text

Description and ecology

Adult Endotricha flammealis of the Endotrichini in typical resting pose

This subfamily unites generally mid-sized to smallish moths with a more or less cryptic coloration including most often various hues of brownish colors. Adult females of Pyralinae (except Cardamyla and Embryoglossa) are characterized by the short genital ductus bursae, their corpus bursae barely extending forward beyond abdominal segment 7. Otherwise they are rather nondescript mid-sized moths (large by Pyralidae standards) which at least sometimes can be distinguished from their relatives by possessing forewing vein 7 and having hindwing veins 7 and 8 unjoined as adults.[2]

The meal moth (Pyralis farinalis) and the grease moth (Aglossa pinguinalis) are pests of stored food products, in the case of the grease moth including fats (which are also eaten by the adult moths), and have been inadvertently spread almost worldwide by transport of such goods. Most other species' caterpillars are leaf feeders; the extremely polyphagous larvae of Pyralis manihotalis have been reared from bat guano.[1]

Systematics

The systematics and taxonomy of this subfamily is somewhat provisional. No quantitative phylogenetic analysis had been done as of 2007, though in the mid-late 1990s Michael Shaffer of the London Natural History Museum and Maria Alma Solis of the NMNH prepared the groundwork for further studies by their comprehensive qualitative reviews of Pyralinae morphology. Some cladistic studies of the Pyraloidea do exist however, and these place the Pyralinae among the advanced snout moths, a lineage which otherwise includes the even more autapomorphic subfamilies Epipaschiinae and Phycitinae.[1]

Even though the Pyralinae contain a high number of genera and species, there are a mere three tribes generally accepted nowadays; others that were proposed earlier (in some cases even as independent subfamilies within Pyralidae) are presently treated as junior synonyms of the Pyralini. A large number of genera are considered not to be reliably assignable to one of the three tribes; it is not at all certain that the presently-used subdivisions of the Pyralinae are the last word on the issue.[1]

The tribes – with some significant genera and species also noted – and the genera of unclear affiliation in this subfamily are:[3]

Endotrichini Ragonot, 1890 (= Endotrichinae) Endotricha Zeller, 1847 Endotricha flammealis Endotricha ignealis Endotricha pyrosalis Persicoptera Meyrick, 1884 Persicoptera compsopa

Hypotiini Chapman, 1902 (= Hypotiinae) Hypotia Zeller, 1847

Pyralini Almost 40 genera

Genera incertae sedis

Acteniopsis Amsel, 1959 Adulis Ragonot, 1891 Aglossodes Ragonot, 1891 Antisindris Marion, 1955 Arctioblepsis C. & R.Felder, 1862 Benderia Amsel, 1949 Betsimisaraka Marion, 1955 Burgeonidea Ghesquière, 1942 Celetostola Meyrick, 1936 Comaria Ragonot, 1892 Cosmethella Munroe & Shaffer, 1980 Delopterus Janse, 1922 Diboma Walker, 1863 Diloxia Hampson, 1896 Discordia Swinhoe, 1885 Elaealis Hampson, 1906 Embryoglossa Warren, 1896 Epacternis Meyrick, 1933 Ethelontides Meyrick, 1934 Euryzonella Ghesquière, 1942 Eutrichodes Warren, 1891 Grammiphlebia Hampson, 1906 Gvelilia Strand, 1920 Haplosindris Viette, 1953 Heterocrasa Warren, 1896 Hirayamaia Marumo, 1917 Hyboloma Ragonot, 1891 Hypanchyla Warren, 1891 Hypsidia Rothschild, 1896 Imerina Ragonot, 1891 Lamacha Walker, 1863 Larice Ragonot, 1892

Latagognoma Tams, 1935 Lophocera Kenrick, 1917 Lorymav Walker, 1859 (Pyralini?) Lorymana Strand, 1915 Lorymodes Hampson, 1917 Macropyralis Amsel, 1953 Marionana Viette, 1953 Maschalandra Meyrick, 1937 Meca Karsch, 1900 Megalomia Ragonot, 1891 Melanalis Hampson, 1906 Mesosindris Viette, 1967 Methora Walker, 1866 Micromystix de Joannis, 1929 Mimicia Caradja, 1925 Minooa Yamanaka, 1996 Mittonia Whalley, 1964 Namibina Leraut, 2007 Namibiodes Leraut, 2007 Neobostra Hampson, 1906 Nhoabe Viette, 1953 Nussia Leraut, 2009 Ocydina Meyrick, 1936 Omphalobasella Strand, 1915 Omphalomia Swinhoe, 1894 Orybina Snellen, 1895 Parachmidia Hampson, 1896 Paraglossa Hampson, 1906 Paraphycita Hampson, 1901 Perforadix Sein, 1930 Perula Mabille, 1900

Peucela Ragonot, 1891 Phasga Walker, 1863 Pithyllis Grünberg, 1910 Poliostola Janse, 1922 Polycampsis Warren, 1896 Propachys Walker, 1863 Proropera Warren, 1896 Prosaris Meyrick, 1894 Proteinia Hampson, 1896 Pseudozitha Leraut, 2007 Pyralosis Amsel, 1957 Rhynchetera Hampson, 1896 Rhynchopygia Hampson, 1896 Rostripalpus Hampson, 1896 Rungsina Leraut, 2004 Sacada Walker, 1862 Setomigma Ghesquière, 1942 Scotomera Butler, 1881 (Pyralini?) Sindris Boisduval, 1833 Sphalerosticha Warren, 1897 Sybrida Walker, 1865 Tegulifera Saalmüller, 1880 (Pyralini?) Toccolosida Walker, 1863 Trihauchenia Warren, 1892 Triphassa Hübner, 1818 Tyndis Ragonot, 1891 Vitessidia Rothschild & Jordan, 1905 Xenomilia Warren, 1896 Zitha Walker, [1866] (including Tamraca; Pyralini?)

The genus Micronix, formerly placed here, seems to belong to the Crambidae, but its exact placement is obscure. For a similar case, see Tanaobela.

Footnotes

1. Solis (2007)
2. Clarke (1986), Solis (2007)
3. See references in Savela (2011)

References

• Clarke, John Frederick Gates (1986): Pyralidae and Microlepidoptera of the Marquesas Archipelago. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 416: 1–485. PDF fulltext (214 MB!)
• Savela, Markku (2011): Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms: Pyralinae. Version of 2011-MAR-03. Retrieved 2011-MAY-29.
• Solis, M. Alma (2007): Phylogenetic studies and modern classification of the Pyraloidea (Lepidoptera). Revista Colombiana de Entomología 33(1): 1-8 [English with Spanish abstract]. HTML fulltext