Pyralidae
Guides
Honora
snout moths
Honora is a genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. It was described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1878. The genus belongs to the diverse pyralid moth assemblage, commonly known as snout moths due to their prominent elongated labial palps. As a genus within Phycitinae, Honora species are likely small to medium-sized moths with relatively narrow wings, though specific diagnostic features distinguishing the genus from related taxa require detailed morphological examination.
Honora dotella
Honora dotella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1910. It is endemic to coastal California, with a known range extending from Monterey County southward through the coastal mountains. The species is characterized by relatively small forewings measuring 8.5–12.5 mm in length.
Honora montinatatella
snout moth
Honora montinatatella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, first described by George Duryea Hulst in 1887. It is endemic to western North America, with documented occurrences in Arizona, California, and Washington. The species has a wingspan of approximately 23 mm. It is classified within the subfamily Phycitinae, a diverse group of small moths often associated with dried plant materials.
Hypotiini
The Hypotiini are a tribe of snout moths within the family Pyralidae, established by Thomas Algernon Chapman in 1902. The tribe contains at least two recognized genera: Hypotia and Arsenaria. These moths are part of the diverse Pyralidae family, commonly known as snout moths due to the elongated labial palps that project forward from the head. The tribe has been documented in over 940 iNaturalist observations, indicating moderate representation in citizen science records.
Hypsipyla grandella
Mahogany Shoot Borer
Hypsipyla grandella is a pyralid moth whose larvae are serious pests of mahogany (Swietenia spp.) and Spanish-cedar (Cedrela spp.). The larvae bore into terminal shoots and seeds, causing significant damage to plantation forestry in the Neotropics. Adults have silvery hyaline hindwings that distinguish them from the congeneric Hypsipyla ferrealis, which has gray hindwings. The species has been introduced to Mauritius outside its native range.
Hypsopygia
Hayworms
Hypsopygia is a genus of pyralid moths described by Jacob Hübner in 1825. Members are relatively large compared to other pyralids. The genus has undergone extensive taxonomic revision, with several former genera (Dolichomia, Herculia, Ocrasa, Orthopygia, Pseudasopia) now mostly merged into it. Species exhibit diverse ecological strategies: some are nest parasites of social wasps, while others are pests of stored hay and dried vegetation. Several species are attracted to light and are nocturnal.
Hypsopygia
A newly described species of snout moth in the genus Hypsopygia (family Pyralidae). The genus Hypsopygia comprises small to medium-sized moths commonly known as snout moths or pyralid moths. Many species in this genus are associated with detritus, decaying plant material, or stored products. The specific epithet "new-species" appears to be a placeholder indicating this taxon was recently described to science, though formal publication details are not provided in the available sources.
Hypsopygia binodulalis
Pink-fringed Dolichomia Moth
Hypsopygia binodulalis, commonly known as the pink-fringed dolichomia moth, is a small snout moth species in the family Pyralidae. First described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1872, this species was formerly placed in the genus Dolichomia, which explains its common name. The species is found across the southeastern and south-central United States. Its biology remains poorly documented.
Hypsopygia cohortalis
Hypsopygia cohortalis is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae. It is found in western and central North America, with records from Colorado, Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Ohio. Like other members of its genus, it belongs to a group of small to medium-sized moths characterized by elongated labial palps that form a distinctive snout-like projection. Published information on its biology and life history is limited.
Hypsopygia olinalis
Yellow-fringed Dolichomia Moth, yellow-fringed dolichomia
A small pyralid moth of eastern North America, Hypsopygia olinalis is recognized by its distinctive yellow fringe along the wing margins. The species has a wingspan of 16–24 mm and exhibits a bimodal flight pattern with adults active from May through August in the northern part of its range and extending into September farther south. Larvae are documented feeders on Quercus species.
Hypsopygia phoezalis
A small snout moth in the family Pyralidae, known from a restricted coastal range in southern California. Adults are active from spring through early autumn and have forewings measuring 7.5–12 mm. The species is documented from the Los Angeles area and Catalina Island.
Hypsopygia planalis
Hypsopygia planalis is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1880. The species is known from North America, with confirmed records from Colorado. Like other members of the genus Hypsopygia, it belongs to a group of moths commonly referred to as snout moths due to the elongated labial palps that project forward from the head. The biology and larval habits of this species remain poorly documented.
Hypsopygia thymetusalis
spruce needleworm moth, paler dolichomia moth
Hypsopygia thymetusalis is a small pyralid moth known commonly as the spruce needleworm moth. The species was described by Francis Walker in 1859 and occurs across northern North America. Larvae are specialized feeders on spruce (Picea), constructing rolled leaf shelters. Adults have a wingspan of approximately 22 mm.
Interjectio denticulella
Interjectio denticulella is a small snout moth in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. It was described by Émile Louis Ragonot in 1887. The species is known from western North America, with records from California and Saskatchewan.
Interjectio niviella
Interjectio niviella is a snout moth (family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae) described by George Duryea Hulst in 1888. The species is characterized by small size and distinctive white forewings. It has been recorded across a broad North American range spanning the Great Plains and southwestern regions. Despite its described status, it remains poorly known with limited biological data available.
Laetilia
Scale-eating Moths
Laetilia is a genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae, described by Émile Louis Ragonot in 1889. The genus contains approximately 16 described species distributed across North America and other regions. Laetilia species are notable for their entomophagous lifestyle, with larvae feeding primarily on scale insects (Coccoidea), a trait that has earned them the common name "Scale-eating Moths." This specialized predatory behavior makes them of interest for biological control of scale insect pests.
Laetilia dilatifasciella
Western Scale-feeding Snout
Laetilia dilatifasciella is a small snout moth (Pyralidae) native to the southwestern United States. Adults have forewings 6–8 mm in length and are active in spring and late summer through fall. The species is notable for its predatory larvae that feed on scale insects, making it one of relatively few moth species with carnivorous immature stages.
Lepidomys irrenosa
Lepidomys irrenosa is a species of snout moth (family Pyralidae, subfamily Chrysauginae) described by Achille Guenée in 1852. It occurs in the southeastern United States and Cuba. As a member of the Chrysauginae, it belongs to a diverse group of pyralid moths whose larvae are often associated with plant material, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented.
Lipographis unicolor
Lipographis unicolor is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. The genus Lipographis is small and poorly documented in published literature. Available sources do not provide substantial information on this species' biology, distribution, or ecology. Most online records consist of taxonomic listings without descriptive content.
Macalla
Macalla is a genus of pyralid moths in the subfamily Epipaschiinae, established by Walker in 1859. The genus includes species whose larvae are known to feed on mahogany (Swietenia) and related plants, with Macalla thyrsisalis (mahogany webworm) being the most documented species due to its economic importance as a pest of West Indies mahogany. Adult moths are nocturnal and attracted to light. The genus is part of the diverse snout moth family Pyralidae, which contains many economically significant agricultural and forestry pests.
Macalla glastianalis
Macalla glastianalis is a species of pyralid moth in the subfamily Epipaschiinae, described by Schaus in 1922. It belongs to the genus Macalla, a group of moths whose larvae are known to feed on poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). The species has been recorded in the United States with 87 observations documented on iNaturalist. Like other members of its genus, it is presumably nocturnal and attracted to light.
Macalla thyrsisalis
mahogany webworm moth, mahogany webworm
Macalla thyrsisalis, known as the mahogany webworm moth, is a snout moth in the family Pyralidae described by Francis Walker in 1859. The larval stage is a strikingly colored caterpillar that feeds on West Indies mahogany, causing damage to the host plant. The species is distributed across southern Florida, the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America.
Macalla zelleri
Zeller's Macalla Moth, Zeller's epipaschia moth
Macalla zelleri is a snout moth in the family Pyralidae, first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1876. The species is notable for having caterpillars that feed on poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), potentially offering a biological control for this problematic plant. Adults are found across eastern and central North America, with records spanning from southern Canada to the southwestern United States.
Macrocentrus pyraustae
Macrocentrus pyraustae is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, described by Viereck in 1917. The species epithet 'pyraustae' indicates an association with moths in the family Crambidae (formerly Pyralidae), specifically the genus Ostrinia. It is a specialized parasitoid whose larvae develop within host caterpillars.
Macrorrhinia
snout moths
Macrorrhinia is a genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. The genus was established by Ragonot in 1887, though some sources cite Barnes and McDunnough in 1913. It contains six recognized species distributed in North America. The genus is characterized by relatively small size and specific wing pattern elements, though detailed morphological studies remain limited.
Macrorrhinia aureofasciella
Macrorrhinia aureofasciella is a small snout moth described by Émile Louis Ragonot in 1887. It belongs to the subfamily Phycitinae within the family Pyralidae. The species is known from the southwestern United States, specifically Arizona and Texas.
Martia
Martia is a monotypic genus of snout moths (Pyralidae: Phycitinae) established by Émile Louis Ragonot in 1887. The genus contains a single species, Martia arizonella, also described by Ragonot in the same publication. This North American moth is found in arid and semi-arid regions of the western United States.
Martia arizonella
snout moth
Martia arizonella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae and the sole member of its genus. It was described by Émile Louis Ragonot in 1887. The species is known from arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States.
Melitara
Pricklypear Borers
Melitara is a genus of snout moths (Pyralidae: Phycitinae) established by Francis Walker in 1863. Species in this genus are specialist herbivores of cacti, particularly Opuntia species, with larvae that bore into cactus pads and stems. The genus is taxonomically contentious, with some sources treating it as a synonym of Zophodia while others retain it as valid. Melitara species serve as hosts for parasitoid wasps in the family Braconidae, and have been studied in the context of biological control of invasive cacti and as potential competitors to the invasive South American cactus moth Cactoblastis cactorum.
Melitara texana
Texas snout moth
Melitara texana is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, described by Herbert H. Neunzig in 1997. The species is known from southern Texas and adjacent Mexico. Its larvae are specialized feeders on Opuntia lindheimeri var. lindheimeri, a prickly pear cactus species.
Meroptera
Meroptera is a genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. It was established by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1882. The genus contains six described species distributed in North America, including the southwestern United States and Cuba. Species in this genus are small moths with characteristic pyralid morphology.
Meroptera abditiva
Meroptera abditiva is a species of snout moth (family Pyralidae) described by Carl Heinrich in 1956. It belongs to the subfamily Phycitinae, a diverse group of small moths commonly known as knot-horn moths. The species is documented from multiple localities across eastern and central North America. Available records suggest it is a rarely encountered species with limited biological data published.
Mesostenus thoracicus
Mesostenus thoracicus is a species of ichneumon wasp in the family Ichneumonidae. The genus Mesostenus comprises approximately ten species in North America north of Mexico, with bold black, white, and red coloration typical of the group. Members of this genus are parasitoids that target caterpillars, particularly those in the moth families Pyralidae, Crambidae, and Tortricidae. Females possess a long, tail-like ovipositor used to deposit eggs in host insects, while males lack this structure.
Milgithea alboplagialis
Milgithea alboplagialis is a small snout moth in the family Pyralidae, first described by Harrison G. Dyar in 1905. It is known only from the Huachuca Mountains in southeastern Arizona, where it inhabits montane environments. The species is characterized by a relatively modest wingspan of 23–27 mm. Like other members of its genus, it belongs to the subfamily Epipaschiinae, a group of pyralid moths whose larvae are generally associated with dead or decaying plant material.
Moodna ostrinella
Darker Moodna Moth
Moodna ostrinella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, first described by Clemens in 1860. It is one of several species in the genus Moodna, a group of small moths characterized by elongated labial palps that form a snout-like projection. The species is broadly distributed across eastern and central North America, with records extending from Canada to the southern United States.
Moodna pallidostrinella
Paler Moodna Moth
Moodna pallidostrinella, known as the paler moodna moth, is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae. It was described by Herbert H. Neunzig in 1990 from a specimen collected at Big Pine Key, Florida. The species occurs across eastern North America from Ontario south to Florida and west to Tennessee.
Moodnodes
Moodnodes is a monotypic genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. The genus contains a single species, Moodnodes plorella, originally described in 1914 by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. under the genus Ephestiodes. The genus was established by Herbert H. Neunzig in 1990 to accommodate this species.
Moodnodes plorella
Moodnodes plorella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, and the sole member of its genus. It was first described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1914 from specimens collected in Panama, and later recorded from Florida. The genus Moodnodes was established by Herbert H. Neunzig in 1990 to accommodate this species.
Myelopsis alatella
Myelopsis alatella is a species of snout moth described by George Duryea Hulst in 1887. It belongs to the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. The species is known from the south-western United States, with California as the primary recorded location. It has been documented in 335 iNaturalist observations.
Negalasa
Negalasa is a monotypic genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, containing the single species N. fumalis. The genus and its sole species were described together by William Barnes and James Halliday McDunnough in 1913. It is endemic to the southwestern United States, with records from Arizona. The genus belongs to the subfamily Chrysauginae, a diverse group within Pyralidae.
Negalasa rubralis
Negalasa rubralis is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Chrysauginae. It was described by William Barnes and James Halliday McDunnough in 1913, the same year as the genus Negalasa was established. The species is extremely poorly known, with only three observations recorded in iNaturalist and minimal published documentation. It appears to be distinct from the better-known congener N. fumalis, which is found in Arizona.
Neodavisia
Neodavisia is a genus of snout moths (family Pyralidae, subfamily Pyralinae) described by William Barnes and James Halliday McDunnough in 1914. The genus contains two recognized species: Neodavisia melusina and Neodavisia singularis. Like other pyralid moths, members possess the characteristic elongated labial palps that form a snout-like projection. The genus is part of the diverse pyraloid moth fauna of North America.
Neodavisia melusina
Neodavisia melusina is a species of snout moth (family Pyralidae) described in 1984 from specimens collected in Texas. It belongs to a small genus within the subfamily Pyralinae. The species is known from a limited geographic range in the southern United States and adjacent Mexico, with most records from Texas. It is one of the better-documented species in its genus due to its relatively accessible range.
Olybria aliculella
Olybria aliculella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae. It is the type species of the genus Olybria, described by George Duryea Hulst in 1887. The species is known from the southwestern United States.
Omphalocera munroei
Asimina Webworm Moth, Pawpaw Webworm Moth
A pyralid moth species in the subfamily Galleriinae, known for its specialized association with pawpaw (Asimina) species. Larvae are group-feeding and construct leaf shelters. The species has been studied for its clustered oviposition behavior and gregarious larval development.
Oneida grisiella
Oneida grisiella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Epipaschiinae. Described by Solis in 1991, this species is known from only two documented observations, both from the US state of Texas. It belongs to the genus Oneida, a group of relatively obscure pyralid moths.
Oneida luniferella
Oneida luniferella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, described by George Duryea Hulst in 1895. The species occurs in western North America, including the western United States and Mexico. Two subspecies are recognized: the nominate O. l. luniferella and O. l. pallidalis described by Barnes & Benjamin in 1924.
Oneida lunulalis
Oak Gall Snout Moth, Orange-tufted Oneida Moth
Oneida lunulalis is a small snout moth in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Epipaschiinae. It occurs across eastern North America from Canada to Florida. The larvae are associated with oak foliage and galls. Adults are known by two common names: "oak gall snout moth" and "orange-tufted Oneida moth."
Oreana
Oreana is a monotypic genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. It was described by George Duryea Hulst in 1887, with its sole species Oreana unicolorella described one year earlier. The genus is known from most of North America. As a monotypic genus, Oreana contains only this single species.
Ortholepis
Ortholepis is a genus of small moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae, established by Émile Louis Ragonot in 1887. The genus contains approximately 12 described species distributed across the Holarctic region, with records from Europe and North America. Species within this genus are associated with various woody host plants including birch, blueberry, and rhododendron. The genus has been subject to taxonomic revision, with some species transferred from related genera.