Hyblaeidae

Definition

A small family of moths (Lepidoptera: Ditrysia) commonly called teak moths, comprising approximately 18 species in two genera. Hyblaeidae constitute one of two families within the superfamily Hyblaeoidea, whose phylogenetic position among Ditrysian Lepidoptera remains unsettled—variously recovered as sister to Pyraloidea, Thyridoidea, or butterflies (Papilionoidea) depending on analytical method and gene sampling. The family takes its common name from larval associations with teak (Tectona grandis) and related woody plants.

Etymology

From Hyblaea, the type genus (Greek Hyblaea, an epithet associated with the Sicilian city Hybla, famed for honey production), + -idae (family suffix).

Example

Larvae of Hyblaea puera, the teak defoliator, are significant forestry pests in tropical Asia, stripping foliage from teak plantations and requiring integrated pest management.

Synonyms

• teak moths

Related Terms

• Hyblaeoidea
• Pyraloidea
• Thyridoidea
• Ditrysia
• Tectona grandis
• Hyblaea puera
• Lepidoptera

Usage Notes

Formerly treated as part of Pyraloidea; current consensus places Hyblaeoidea as a distinct superfamily of uncertain affinities. The family contains only two genera—Hyblaea and Hyblaeoides—making it among the most species-poor families in the mega-diverse Ditrysia. Not to be confused with similarly named taxa in other phyla.