Epipaschiinae

snout moths

Genus Guides

is a of Pyralidae (snout moths) containing over 720 described . The group is predominantly tropical and subtropical in distribution, with notable absence from Europe as native fauna. males exhibit distinctive morphological traits including an upturned third segment of the labial palpi, a ventrally curved phallobase extending beyond the ductus ejaculatorius, weakly sclerotized tegumen, and often a conspicuous scaled projection from the scape of the . Larvae are leaf rollers, leaf tiers, and leaf miners; some species are minor crop pests on avocado, mahogany, and corn.

Toripalpus trabalis by (c) Matt Muir, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Muir. Used under a CC-BY license.

Cacozelia basiochrealis by (c) Sue Carnahan, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sue Carnahan. Used under a CC-BY license.

Epipaschia superatalis by (c) Matt Muir, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Muir. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Epipaschiinae: /ˌɛpɪˈpæski.aɪˌni/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

males distinguished from other Pyralidae by: upturned and pointed third labial palp segment; ventrally curved phallobase extending beyond ductus ejaculatorius; weakly sclerotized tegumen; scaled projection from antennal scape (in most ). Larvae distinguished by absence of sclerotized bristle base near present in other pyralid subfamilies. Adult females difficult to separate from related lineages without dissection.

Images

Habitat

Tropical and subtropical forests and agricultural areas. Larvae associated with living foliage of diverse plants including trees (mahogany, avocado) and crops (corn). attracted to artificial light sources.

Distribution

Primarily tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Absent from Europe as native . Present in Africa (including Nigeria, with new country records documented), Asia (India with 80 species, China with Lista), the Americas, and Caribbean region. Some species extend into temperate regions.

Diet

Larvae feed on living plant foliage; specific associations include Persea americana (avocado), Swietenia (mahoganies), and Zea mays (corn).

Host Associations

Persea americana - larval food plantavocado
Swietenia - larval food plantmahoganies
Zea mays - larval food plantcorn

Life Cycle

Complete (holometabolous). Larval stage consists of caterpillars that are leaf rollers, leaf tiers, or leaf miners. and patterns not documented at level.

Behavior

and attracted to light. Larvae construct shelters by rolling, tying, or mining leaves of plants.

Ecological Role

Herbivores as larvae; minor defoliators of trees and crops. Some function as occasional agricultural pests.

Human Relevance

Minor economic impact as crop pests. Macalla thyrsisalis (mahogany webworm) documented as pest of West Indies mahogany. Some occasionally significant on avocado and corn, though usually causing nuisance rather than large- crop failure.

Similar Taxa

other Pyralidae subfamilies females and larvae difficult to distinguish; larvae lack the sclerotized bristle base near that characterizes other
GalleriinaeBoth are Pyralidae with superficially similar ; distinguished by male genitalic characters and larval abdominal bristle base
PhycitinaePyralidae with overlapping distribution and ; distinguished by male genitalic structures and absence of scaled antennal projection in most

More Details

Systematics

Phylogenetic analysis of 20 of the Pococera complex (approximately 300 Western Hemisphere ) provided by Solis (1993). The genus Lista, with bright pink, orange, or yellow wing coloration, is sometimes favorably compared to butterflies due to its striking appearance.

Species diversity

Global diversity exceeds 720 in 94 . India harbors 80 species in 18 genera (10.85% of global species). China 10 species of Lista genus alone. Nigeria records include 10 species in 9 genera with 6 new country records.