Pyraloidea
Guides
Aethiophysa dualis
Aethiophysa dualis is a crambid moth described from South Texas in 1914. It belongs to the subfamily Glaphyriinae, a group of small to medium-sized moths within the Crambidae family. The species is known from a restricted geographic range in southern North America.
Almita
Almita is a genus of crambid moths described by Bernard Landry in 1995. The genus contains two known species: A. portalia and A. texana, both described in the same publication. It belongs to the family Crambidae, a large group of pyraloid moths commonly known as grass moths. Very little is known about the biology or ecology of this genus.
Almita portalia
Almita portalia is a small moth in the family Crambidae, first described by Bernard Landry in 1995. The species is known from a very limited geographic range in the southwestern United States, with records only from Arizona and California. It belongs to the genus Almita, a group of crambid moths about which little biological information has been published.
Anageshna
Anageshna is a genus of snout moths (family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae) established by Munroe in 1956. The genus belongs to the diverse grass moth group, though specific morphological and biological traits distinguishing it from related genera require specialist examination. Observations indicate presence in North America, particularly the northeastern United States.
Apilocrocis
Apilocrocis is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae. The genus was established by Amsel in 1956 and contains approximately 11 described species distributed across the Americas, from the United States through Central America to South America. Species within this genus are relatively small crambid moths, with several described by Hampson in the early 20th century and additional species described by Munroe in 1968.
Cangetta
Cangetta is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae. The genus was established by Moore in 1886. Species within this genus are distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, with records from South Africa, Malawi, Cameroon, Congo, and other regions. The genus contains approximately 14 recognized species.
Compacta hirtalis
A small crambid moth with a wingspan of approximately 21 mm, ranging from the southern United States through Central America to South America. Adults are active during summer months in the northern part of its range. First described by Guenée in 1854 from the original basionym Botys hirtalis.
Daulia
Daulia is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae. The genus was established by Francis Walker in 1859. Species in this genus are distributed primarily in tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, including parts of Africa, Asia, and Australia. The genus comprises relatively small to medium-sized moths with characteristic wing patterns typical of the Spilomelinae.
Diacme
Diacme is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae. The genus was established by Warren in 1892 and contains approximately 10 described species. Species within this genus are distributed in North America and parts of the Neotropics. The genus includes species such as Diacme adipaloides, D. elealis, and D. mopsalis.
Diastictis baccatalis
Media Moth
Diastictis baccatalis, commonly known as the Media Moth, is a species of pyraloid moth in the family Crambidae. It is a moderately sized moth with distinctive wing patterns that facilitate identification. The species has been documented across much of North America and is frequently observed by citizen scientists, with over 2,300 records on iNaturalist. Its larvae are associated with plants in the genus Baccharis.
Diastictis caecalis
Diastictis caecalis is a species of crambid moth described by William Warren in 1892. It belongs to the subfamily Spilomelinae within the family Crambidae. The species is known from California in western North America. Very little detailed biological information has been published for this species.
Glaphyria glaphyralis
Common Glaphyria Moth
Glaphyria glaphyralis, commonly known as the common glaphyria moth, is a small moth in the family Crambidae. First described by Achille Guenée in 1854, this species is widely distributed across eastern and central North America. It is a member of the subfamily Glaphyriinae, a group of moths often associated with grassland and open habitats. The species is relatively well-documented with over 1,200 observations on iNaturalist.
Haimbachia
Haimbachia is a genus of crambid moths comprising approximately 30 described species distributed across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The genus was established by Dyar in 1909. At least one species, Haimbachia ignefusalis (formerly placed in the genus Contesta), has been documented as an agricultural pest with studied oviposition preferences and habitat selection behavior. Most species appear to be small, relatively nondescript moths with limited published ecological data.
Heliothelopsis
Heliothelopsis is a genus of small moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Odontiinae, established by Munroe in 1961. The genus contains three described species: H. arbutalis (Snellen, 1875), H. costipunctalis (Barnes & McDunnough, 1914), and H. unicoloralis (Barnes & McDunnough, 1914). These moths are classified within the pyraloid group of Lepidoptera. The genus appears to be relatively poorly documented, with limited biological and ecological information available in scientific literature.
Loxostege indentalis
Loxostege indentalis is a crambid moth described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1883. The species is native to western North America, with documented records from six U.S. states. Adults have a wingspan of approximately 35 mm and are active from spring through late summer. The genus Loxostege includes several species of webworm moths, some of which are significant agricultural pests, though specific economic impacts of L. indentalis have not been documented.
Microthyris
Microthyris is a genus of pyraloid moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae. The genus was established by Julius Lederer in 1863 and includes seven described species distributed primarily in the Neotropical region. Species such as Microthyris lelex and Microthyris alvinalis are among the better-documented members. The genus belongs to the diverse grass moth family, though specific ecological details remain limited.
Mimorista
Mimorista is a genus of snout moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae. The genus was established by William Warren in 1890 and contains approximately 15 described species distributed primarily in the Americas. Most species were described in the early 20th century by entomologists such as Hampson and Möschler. The genus is placed within the diverse and species-rich subfamily Spilomelinae, one of the largest groups of pyraloid moths.
Ommatospila
Ommatospila is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae. It was established by Julius Lederer in 1863 and contains three described species distributed across the Americas. The genus belongs to a diverse group of pyraloid moths commonly known as grass moths or snout moths.
Oxyelophila
Oxyelophila is a genus of crambid moths in the subfamily Acentropinae, described by William Trowbridge Merrifield Forbes in 1922. The genus comprises eight described species distributed in the Neotropical region. As a member of Acentropinae, it belongs to a group commonly known as aquatic or semiaquatic moths, though specific ecological data for Oxyelophila remain limited.
Palpita aenescentalis
Palpita aenescentalis is a moth species in the family Crambidae, described by Eugene G. Munroe in 1952. It is known from eastern and central North America, with records spanning from Canada to the southeastern United States. The species belongs to a large genus of snout moths, many of which are associated with woody plants.
Petrophila longipennis
Long-winged Petrophila
Petrophila longipennis is a moth species in the family Crambidae, subfamily Acentropinae. It was described by George Hampson in 1906 based on specimens from Mexico. The species is known from only a handful of observations, with limited biological information available. Like other members of Petrophila, it is likely associated with aquatic or riparian habitats, though this has not been directly documented for this species.
Polygrammodes
Polygrammodes is a genus of crambid snout moths in the subfamily Spilomelinae. The genus contains multiple species distributed primarily in the New World. Adults are typically medium-sized moths with relatively broad wings. Larval stages are associated with various host plants, though specific associations vary by species.
Psammobotys
Psammobotys is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Odontiinae. The genus was erected by Munroe in 1961 and contains two described species: P. fordi (type species) and P. alpinalis. The genus name derives from Greek 'psammos' (sand), suggesting a potential association with sandy habitats. Both species were described by Munroe, with P. fordi described in 1961 and P. alpinalis in 1972.
Pyralidae
pyralid moths, snout moths, grass moths
Pyralidae is a diverse family of Lepidoptera in the superfamily Pyraloidea, comprising over 6,000 described species worldwide. The family is commonly known as snout moths due to the prominent elongated labial palps that project forward from the head. Historically, the Crambidae (grass moths) were included within Pyralidae as a subfamily, but modern classifications treat them as a separate family. Pyralidae includes numerous economically important pest species affecting stored products, agriculture, and forestry.
Samea multiplicalis
salvinia stem-borer moth
Samea multiplicalis is an aquatic moth native to the Americas, ranging from the southern United States to Argentina, and introduced to Australia in 1981 as a biological control agent for invasive water ferns. Adults are small, tan moths with darker wing markings and a wingspan of approximately 20 mm. The species completes its entire life cycle on or near aquatic host plants, with larvae feeding internally on stems and externally on leaves, often causing plant death. High rates of parasitism by native wasps and flies limit its effectiveness as a weed control agent in introduced ranges.
Scoparia palloralis
Scoparia palloralis is a small moth in the family Crambidae, described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1906. It occurs in western North America from British Columbia to southern California, with inland records from Colorado and western Texas. The species exhibits seasonal flight activity in spring and summer, with timing varying by latitude and elevation.
Spilomelinae
Pearl Moths
Spilomelinae is a species-rich subfamily of Crambidae (crambid snout moths) containing approximately 4,180 described species in 351 genera worldwide, making it the most diverse group among pyraloid moths. Formerly treated as tribe Spilomelini within Pyraustinae, it was elevated to subfamily status based on phylogenetic studies. The subfamily includes numerous agricultural pests as well as the invasive box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis).
Stegea
Stegea is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Glaphyriinae. The genus was erected by Munroe in 1964 and contains approximately eleven described species distributed across North America, the Caribbean, and Central America. Species within this genus are generally small moths with relatively simple wing patterns.