Phycitinae
Guides
Acrobasis
Acrobasis is a genus of small moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. Species in this genus are primarily known as pests of nut and fruit crops, with several economically significant species including the pecan nut casebearer (A. nuxvorella) and species affecting chokeberry, walnut, and hickory. Larvae typically bore into developing nuts or fruits, causing direct damage to yield. The genus has a Holarctic distribution with records from North America and Europe.
Acrobasis angusella
Hickory Leafstem Borer, Leafstem Borer, Hickory Leafstem Borer Moth
Acrobasis angusella, described by Grote in 1880, is a snout moth in the family Pyralidae. The species is known from Quebec, Canada, and the northeastern United States. Adults have a wingspan of approximately 18 mm and are active from May through September. The larvae are specialized feeders on hickory species (Carya), boring into leaf stems and causing premature leaf drop.
Acrobasis aurorella
Acrobasis aurorella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae. It was described by Charles Russell Ely in 1910. The species is known from the eastern United States. Little detailed information is available about its biology or ecology.
Acrobasis blanchardorum
Acrobasis blanchardorum is a species of snout moth (family Pyralidae) described by Herbert H. Neunzig in 1973. It is known from North America, with Texas as the type locality. The larvae feed on Quercus species, including Quercus grisea.
Acrobasis caliginella
Acrobasis caliginella is a snout moth (Pyralidae: Phycitinae) described by George Duryea Hulst in 1878. The species is restricted to the southwestern United States, with confirmed records from California and Arizona. Larvae feed on multiple oak species (Quercus spp.), including coast live oak and interior live oak. Like other Acrobasis species, it likely develops as a concealed feeder in host plant tissues.
Acrobasis caryivorella
pecan nursery casemaker
Acrobasis caryivorella, known as the pecan nursery casemaker, is a snout moth in the family Pyralidae described by Ragonot in 1887. It is a pest of pecan and walnut trees, with larvae that bore into new growth and developing nuts. The species has two to four generations per year and overwinters in the larval stage. It occurs in southeastern Ontario, Canada, and the eastern United States.
Acrobasis cirroferella
Acrobasis cirroferella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, described by George Duryea Hulst in 1892. The species is known from Florida and Texas in the United States. Larvae feed on Myrica cerifera (wax myrtle).
Acrobasis demotella
Walnut Shoot Moth
Acrobasis demotella, the walnut shoot moth, is a small pyralid moth described by Grote in 1881. Its larvae feed on Juglans (walnut) and Carya (hickory/pecan) species, making it a pest of nut-producing trees. The species occurs across eastern and central North America. It is one of several Acrobasis species associated with hardwood trees in the walnut family.
Acrobasis exsulella
cordovan pyralid moth
Acrobasis exsulella, commonly known as the cordovan pyralid moth, is a species of snout moth described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1848. It belongs to the genus Acrobasis within the family Pyralidae. The species is known from the southeastern United States. Information regarding its biology, host plants, and ecological relationships remains limited in the available literature.
Acrobasis indigenella
Leaf Crumpler
Acrobasis indigenella, the leaf crumpler, is a small snout moth (Pyralidae: Phycitinae) described by Zeller in 1848. It is known from eastern North America, with records extending into central Canada and the north-central United States. The species has a bivoltine life cycle in Illinois and the southeastern United States, with larvae that feed on leaves of Juglandaceae, particularly black walnut, hickories, and pecan. First-generation larvae are notable for skeletonizing leaves and webbing them together into shelters for feeding.
Acrobasis minimella
Acrobasis minimella is a small snout moth in the family Pyralidae, described by Émile Louis Ragonot in 1889. It occurs in the eastern United States. The species has a wingspan of approximately 17 mm. Its larvae are specialized feeders on oak species (Quercus).
Acrobasis normella
Acrobasis normella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1908. The species is associated with hazelnut hosts, with larvae feeding on American hazelnut (Corylus americana) and beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta). It is known from Ontario, Canada, and the central and eastern United States. Like other Acrobasis species, it likely has a concealed larval lifestyle within host plant tissues.
Acrobasis ostryella
Acrobasis ostryella is a snout moth (family Pyralidae) described by Charles Russell Ely in 1913. The species has one generation per year and occurs in eastern North America. Larvae are specialized feeders on Ostrya virginiana (American hophornbeam), constructing silk tubes at the base of leaves where they overwinter. The species is one of approximately 60 Acrobasis species in North America, many of which are associated with woody host plants.
Acrobasis pallicornella
Acrobasis pallicornella is a species of snout moth in the genus Acrobasis, described by Ragonot in 1887. It belongs to the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. The species is known from Texas, with limited available information about its biology and ecology. Like other members of the genus Acrobasis, it likely has a concealed larval lifestyle, though this has not been documented specifically for this species.
Acrobasis palliolella
mantled acrobasis moth
Acrobasis palliolella, the mantled acrobasis moth, is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae. It was described by Ragonot in 1887 and is known from Ontario, Canada, and the eastern United States. The larvae feed on Carya species (hickories), including Carya ovata and Carya carolinae-septentrionalis.
Acrobasis rubrifasciella
alder tubemaker moth
Acrobasis rubrifasciella, commonly known as the alder tubemaker moth, is a small snout moth described by Alpheus Spring Packard in 1874. The species occurs in central-eastern Canada and the eastern United States. Its larvae are specialized feeders on Alnus (alder) species, with young larvae consuming wintered leaf-buds of their host plants. The species has been documented as a host for the parasitoid wasp Calliephialtes grapholithae.
Acrobasis suavella
Thicket Knot-horn, Blackthorn Knot-horn
Acrobasis suavella is a small pyralid moth native to Europe, with an established introduced population in southwestern Canada. Adults fly nocturnally during summer months and are readily attracted to light. The larva is a concealed feeder, constructing a silken gallery within which it feeds on host plant material over an extended autumn-to-spring period. The species has been the subject of genome sequencing as part of the Darwin Tree of Life Project.
Acrobasis texana
Acrobasis texana is a species of snout moth described by Herbert H. Neunzig in 1986. It belongs to the genus Acrobasis, a group of moths commonly known as knot-horns or casebearers. The species epithet refers to Texas, where it was first discovered. Like other members of its genus, it likely has concealed-feeding larvae, though specific life history details remain undocumented.
Acrobasis tricolorella
destructive prune worm, tricolored acrobasis moth
Acrobasis tricolorella is a snout moth (Pyralidae: Phycitinae) described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1878. The species occurs in southern Canada and the northern United States. Adults are active from June to October. Larvae feed on buds and fruits of various Rosaceae and related woody plants, and overwinter in the larval stage.
Acroncosa
Acroncosa is a genus of snout moths (family Pyralidae) established by William Barnes and James Halliday McDunnough in 1917. The genus contains four described species, all found in North America. As members of the subfamily Phycitinae, these moths possess the characteristic elongated labial palps that form a snout-like projection. The type species is Acroncosa albiflavella.
Actrix
Actrix is a genus of snout moths in the subfamily Phycitinae, described by Carl Heinrich in 1956. The genus contains two species: Actrix nyssaecolella and Actrix dissimulatrix. Both species are classified within the family Pyralidae, a large family of small to medium-sized moths commonly known as snout moths due to their elongated labial palps.
Adanarsa intransitella
Adanarsa intransitella is a snout moth (Pyralidae: Phycitinae) and the sole species in its monotypic genus. It was originally described as Rhodophaea intransitella by Dyar in 1905, then transferred to the new genus Adanarsa by Heinrich in 1956. The species is known from the southwestern United States.
Alberada
Alberada is a genus of snout moths described by C. Heinrich in 1939. It belongs to the subfamily Phycitinae within the family Pyralidae. The taxonomic status of this genus is disputed: some authorities treat it as a synonym of Zophodia, while others recognize it as a valid genus. The genus includes five described species, four of which were described by Neunzig in 1997.
Ambesa laetella
snout moth
Ambesa laetella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1880. It is known from the Canadian prairie provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. As a member of the subfamily Phycitinae, it shares the characteristic elongated labial palps that form a "snout" projection. The species has been documented through 95 iNaturalist observations, indicating it is moderately well-observed but remains poorly studied in the scientific literature.
Ambesa walsinghami
Ambesa walsinghami is a species of snout moth in the genus Ambesa. It was described by Ragonot in 1887. The species is found in western North America and belongs to the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae.
Ancylosis
snout moths
Ancylosis is a genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae, established by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1839. The genus exhibits broad geographic distribution across multiple continents, with species recorded from Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Taxonomic revision work in recent years has clarified species boundaries, established new synonyms, and reinstated several previously synonymized species. The genus contains multiple subgenera including Ancylosis, Heterographis, Cabotia, and Syria, though some species remain unassigned.
Anderida
Anderida is a genus of moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. Established by Heinrich in 1956, this genus belongs to the diverse group of snout moths. The genus contains species that are part of the North American moth fauna.
Anerastia
snout moths
Anerastia is a genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. The genus was established by Jacob Hübner in 1825 and contains approximately 12 described species. The best-known member is Anerastia lotella, the Sandhill Knot-horn moth, which has been the subject of genomic research. Species occur across parts of Europe, Africa, and North America.
Apomyelois
knot-horn moths
Apomyelois is a genus of small pyralid moths in the subfamily Phycitinae, established by Carl Heinrich in 1956. The genus contains approximately six described species with notably divergent ecologies: some are agricultural pests of stored products and fruit crops, while others are specialized fungus-feeders in woodland habitats. Taxonomic boundaries remain contested, particularly regarding the placement of the carob moth, which some authorities classify as Ectomyelois ceratoniae.
Arcola
Arcola is a genus of snout moths (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in the subfamily Phycitinae, described by Shaffer in 1995. The genus includes species associated with aquatic vegetation, most notably Arcola malloi (Alligatorweed Stem Borer), which has been employed as a biological control agent for the invasive aquatic weed alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) in the United States. The genus belongs to a diverse group of pyralid moths whose larvae typically feed on plant material.
Arcola malloi
alligator weed stem borer, Alligatorweed Stem Borer
Arcola malloi is a snout moth species used as a biological control agent against the invasive aquatic plant alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides). Native to South America, it was introduced to the United States in the 1970s and is now established in the southeastern United States. The species is notable for its stem-boring larval behavior that destroys host plant stems from the inside. When present alongside the alligator weed flea beetle, the two species act synergistically to eliminate weed mats.
Arivaca ostreella
Arivaca ostreella is a small snout moth species described by Émile Louis Ragonot in 1887. It occurs in the southwestern United States, specifically from southern Arizona through New Mexico to Texas. Adults are active in July and have a wingspan of approximately 25 mm. The species belongs to the subfamily Phycitinae within the family Pyralidae.
Atascosa
Atascosa is a genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. It was established by George Duryea Hulst in 1890. The genus is known from the United States (Texas) and Colombia. As a genus of Phycitinae, it belongs to a diverse group of pyralid moths commonly known as snout moths due to their prominent labial palps.
Atascosa glareosella
Rosy Atascosa Moth
Atascosa glareosella is a snout moth species in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. First described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1872, it is distributed across middle and eastern North America, including the United States and southern Canada, with particular concentration in the southern United States including Texas. The species is relatively well-documented with over 600 iNaturalist observations.
Atheloca
Atheloca is a genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae, containing two species: A. subrufella and A. bondari. Both species are associated with palms, particularly coconut (Cocos nucifera). A. subrufella occurs in the Americas from the southern United States through the Caribbean to Brazil, while A. bondari is found in South America and parts of Central America and the Caribbean. The genus was established by Carl Heinrich in 1956.
Atheloca subrufella
Palm Bud Moth, Coconut Moth
Atheloca subrufella is a small snout moth (Pyralidae: Phycitinae) known as a significant pest of coconut and other palms. Adults have a wingspan of 14–18 mm and brownish coloration. The species occurs in the southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean islands, and Brazil. Larvae are specialized feeders on developing palm fruits, causing substantial agricultural damage through gallery formation in the mesocarp and premature fruit shedding.
Bandera
snout moths
Bandera is a genus of snout moths (family Pyralidae) described by Émile Louis Ragonot in 1887. The genus is known from the United States. As members of the subfamily Phycitinae, these moths are part of a diverse group of small to medium-sized pyralids.
Bandera virginella
Bandera Virginella Moth
Bandera virginella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1908. It is a relatively obscure species with limited published biological data. The species is known from western North America, ranging from southern Canada through the Rocky Mountain region to the southwestern United States.
Baphala
snout moths
Baphala is a genus of snout moths established by Carl Heinrich in 1956. It is currently treated as a junior synonym of Vitula, a genus within the subfamily Phycitinae of the family Pyralidae. The genus originally included seven described species, with Baphala pallida (Comstock, 1880) being among the earliest described. Species originally placed in Baphala are now classified under Vitula.
Barberia affinitella
Barberia affinitella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, and the sole member of its genus. It was described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1905. The species is found in the southern United States, ranging from California to Texas. As a member of the subfamily Phycitinae, it belongs to a diverse group of pyralid moths commonly known as snout moths due to their prominent labial palps.
Bethulia
Bethulia is a genus of snout moths (family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae) described by Ragonot in 1888. It belongs to the diverse pyraloid moth fauna, though specific biological details remain poorly documented in accessible literature. The genus is rarely encountered in collections and has minimal published research on its species-level diversity and natural history.
Cadra
Cadra is a genus of small moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. The genus is characterized by reduced forewing venation with veins 4, 7, and 9 absent, resulting in nine forewing veins total. Several species are significant stored product pests, particularly of dry plant materials including seeds, nuts, and dried fruits. The genus is closely related to Ephestia, and species are sometimes assigned interchangeably between the two genera in non-entomological literature.
Cadra figulilella
raisin moth
Cadra figulilella, the raisin moth, is a globally distributed pest of dried and ripening fruits in the family Pyralidae. First identified as a pest of Muscat raisins in California in 1928, it has since spread to tropical and Mediterranean climates worldwide. The species is economically significant due to larval damage to dates, raisins, figs, and other fruits both on the tree and in storage. Adults are short-lived and nocturnal, with females laying an average of 160 eggs that hatch into larvae capable of causing up to 90% fruit infestation in severe cases.
Cahela
cahela moth
Cahela is a monotypic snout moth genus in the family Pyralidae, containing a single species, Cahela ponderosella. The genus was described by Carl Heinrich in 1939. The sole species was originally described by Barnes and McDunnough in 1918. Both the genus and its only species are found in arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Caristanius
Caristanius is a genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. It was described by Carl Heinrich in 1956. The genus contains six described species distributed in the Neotropical region, with records from Guatemala, Mexico, and Central America.
Catastia actualis
Catastia actualis is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, described by George Duryea Hulst in 1886. It is found in western North America, ranging from the Canadian prairies through the Rocky Mountains to the Sierra Nevada. Adults are active in early summer with a relatively narrow flight period.
Caudellia
A genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. Described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1904, the genus name honors entomologist Andrew Nelson Caudell. The genus contains seven described species distributed across North America and the Galápagos Islands.
Chararica
snout moths
Chararica is a genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. It was established by Carl Heinrich in 1956 and contains four described species distributed in North America. The genus is characterized by features typical of Phycitinae, including elongated labial palps that form a snout-like projection.
Chararica annuliferella
Chararica annuliferella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, first described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1905. It belongs to the subfamily Phycitinae, a diverse group of small moths often associated with dried plant material. The species is recorded from North America, though specific details about its biology remain poorly documented.
Chorrera
Chorrera is a genus of snout moths (family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae) established by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1914. It belongs to the diverse pyralid moth fauna and is represented by at least one described species. The genus is placed within the Phycitinae, a subfamily known for slender-bodied moths with elongated labial palps forming a snout-like projection.