Pyraustinae
Guides
Anania funebris
White-spotted Sable
Anania funebris is a diurnal day-flying moth in the family Crambidae, commonly known as the white-spotted sable. It is widespread across Europe, northern Asia, and North America. The species exhibits a distinctive black-and-white wing pattern and has two recognized subspecies separated by geography: A. f. funebris in Eurasia and A. f. glomeralis in North America.
Anania leuschneri
Anania leuschneri is a moth species in the family Crambidae, described by Eugene G. Munroe in 1976. It is a small North American pyraloid moth with a restricted distribution in the southeastern United States. The species is poorly known in terms of its biology and ecology, with most information limited to taxonomic description and locality records.
Anania tertialis
Guenée's Pearl
Anania tertialis is a species of moth in the family Crambidae, described by Achille Guenée in 1854. Commonly known as Guenée's Pearl, this species is native to North America. The species has been documented in over 1,000 observations on iNaturalist, indicating it is relatively well-observed among North American crambid moths.
Arenochroa flavalis
Arenochroa flavalis is a small moth species and the sole member of its genus. It belongs to the family Crambidae, commonly known as grass moths. The species is found in arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico. It was first described by Fernald in 1894, originally placed in the genus Loxostege.
Chabula
Chabula is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Pyraustinae. The genus was established by Moore in 1886 and contains at least two described species: Chabula acamasalis (described by Walker in 1859) and Chabula vedonalis (described by Swinhoe in 1894). These moths belong to the diverse snout moth group, characterized by their elongated labial palps.
Chabula acamasalis
Chabula acamasalis is a small crambid moth with a wingspan of approximately 20 mm. It occurs across a broad geographic range spanning South Asia, East Asia, and Australia. The species is characterized by dark brown forewings marked with contrasting white patches. First described by Francis Walker in 1859 from a specimen originally placed in the genus Zebronia.
Desmia desmialis
Desmia desmialis is a small crambid moth described from Arizona in 1914. The species is recognized by its distinctive wing pattern featuring multiple white patches on brown forewings and semiparallel dark lines on the hindwings. It belongs to a genus containing several similar North American species, including the grape leaffolder Desmia funeralis.
Fumibotys
mint root borer moth
Fumibotys is a monotypic genus of crambid moths containing a single species, Fumibotys fumalis. The genus was established by Eugene G. Munroe in 1976 to accommodate this species, which was originally described by Achille Guenée in 1854. The common name "mint root borer moth" refers to the larval habit of boring into mint roots. The genus is distributed across most of North America.
Hahncappsia coloradensis
Hahncappsia coloradensis is a crambid moth first described by Grote and Robinson in 1867. It is distributed across the western and central United States, from Iowa to Arizona. Adults are active from spring through late summer, with larvae feeding on sunflower species.
Hahncappsia fordi
Hahncappsia fordi is a small moth in the family Crambidae, described by Hahn William Capps in 1967. The species is restricted to the southwestern United States and adjacent northwestern Mexico, with records from California, Arizona, and Sonora. Adults are active from spring through early autumn, with a wingspan of 17–20 mm. Sexual dimorphism in size is minimal, with males averaging slightly larger than females.
Hahncappsia huachucalis
Hahncappsia huachucalis is a small crambid moth described by Hahn William Capps in 1967. It is restricted to the southwestern United States, with confirmed records from Arizona and Texas. The species exhibits moderate sexual size dimorphism and has a summer flight period.
Hahncappsia mellinialis
Hahncappsia mellinialis is a crambid moth described by Herbert Druce in 1899. It occurs in the southwestern United States and Central America, with adults active during late summer. The species exhibits moderate sexual dimorphism in wingspan, with males slightly larger than females.
Hahncappsia neobliteralis
Hahncappsia neobliteralis is a crambid moth species described by Hahn William Capps in 1967. It occurs in eastern and central North America, with records from the United States and Quebec, Canada. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in wingspan, with males measuring 18–24 mm and females 22–23 mm. Adults are active from May through September, and the larvae feed on Ipomoea (morning glory) species.
Hahncappsia pergilvalis
Hahncappsia pergilvalis is a small crambid moth described by George Duryea Hulst in 1886. The species has a wingspan of 20–26 mm and occurs across North America from Ontario through the northeastern and southwestern United States, extending south into central Mexico. Adults are active from May through September. Larval association with maize (Zea mays) is suggested but not confirmed.
Helvibotys
Helvibotys is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, established by Munroe in 1976. The genus comprises five described species distributed in North America, including H. helvialis, H. freemani, H. pseudohelvialis, H. pucilla, and H. sinaloensis. These moths belong to the subfamily Pyraustinae, a diverse group within the Crambidae commonly known as snout moths.
Herpetogramma nymphalis
Herpetogramma nymphalis is a species of moth in the family Crambidae, described by Handfield & Handfield in 2021. The genus Herpetogramma belongs to the subfamily Pyraustinae, a diverse group of grass and sod webworm moths. Many Herpetogramma species are associated with grasses and sedges as larval hosts. As a recently described species, detailed biological information remains limited.
Hyalorista
Hyalorista is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, established by Warren in 1892. The genus contains five described species distributed primarily in the Neotropical region. Members of this genus are classified within the subfamily Pyraustinae, a diverse group of grass moths and related lineages. The genus is characterized by specific wing pattern elements that distinguish it from related genera, though detailed biological information remains limited.
Hyalorista taeniolalis
Hyalorista taeniolalis is a moth in the family Crambidae, subfamily Pyraustinae. It was described by Achille Guenée in 1854 based on specimens from South America. The species is recorded from French Guiana, Brazil, and Colombia. It belongs to a genus of small to medium-sized crambid moths.
Loxostege albiceralis
Tan-edge Loxostege
Loxostege albiceralis is a crambid moth described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1878. It occurs in arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The species is notable as a documented host for the mason wasp Euodynerus annulatus, which provisions its nests with Loxostege caterpillars. Adults are active across an extended flight season from early spring through autumn.
Loxostege allectalis
Wolfberry Loxostege Moth
Loxostege allectalis is a small crambid moth described by Grote in 1877. It occurs from southern California through Texas and south into Mexico and Central America. The species has a wingspan of 21–26 mm and is active from March to September. Its larvae feed specifically on Lycium berlandieri.
Loxostege brunneitincta
A small crambid moth described by Eugene G. Munroe in 1976. Adults are active during late spring and early summer. The species is known from a limited number of records in the western United States.
Loxostege commixtalis
alfalfa webworm
Loxostege commixtalis, commonly known as the alfalfa webworm, is a crambid moth species described by Francis Walker in 1866. The species has a transcontinental distribution spanning the Palearctic and Nearctic regions. In North America, it ranges from the Atlantic provinces to the Yukon, while in Europe it occurs in Fennoscandia, Estonia, and northern Russia. Recent records document its first occurrence in the Eastern Palearctic (South-Eastern Transbaikalia and Amur Uplands). The species is a documented host for the parasitoid wasp Bracon vulgaris. Its larvae feed on succulent plants including alfalfa and sugar beet.
Loxostege ephippialis
Loxostege ephippialis is a small moth in the family Crambidae, first described by Johan Wilhelm Zetterstedt in 1839. It exhibits a Holarctic distribution, occurring across northern Europe and North America. The species is known to be a significant host for the mason wasp Euodynerus annulatus, which provisions its nests with paralyzed caterpillars of this moth. Adults are active during early summer in both European and North American populations.
Loxostege floridalis
Christmas-berry webworm moth
Loxostege floridalis, commonly known as the Christmas-berry webworm moth, is a species of snout moth in the family Crambidae. It was first described by entomologists William Barnes and James Halliday McDunnough in 1913. The species has a restricted distribution in North America, with confirmed records only from Florida and Texas. Adults are active during the cooler months, with flight records spanning September through May.
Loxostege immerens
Loxostege immerens is a small crambid moth described by Leon F. Harvey in 1875. It is known from California, where adults have been recorded flying in January and from March through June. The species has a wingspan of approximately 20 mm, with distinctive blackish gray forewings and deep orange yellow hindwings. It belongs to a genus whose caterpillars are known to be preyed upon by certain mason wasps.
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.
Loxostege oberthuralis
Loxostege oberthuralis is a moth in the family Crambidae, described by Charles H. Fernald in 1894. It is known from arid regions of the southwestern United States. The species has a wingspan of approximately 32 mm and exhibits distinctive coloration with pale sulfur yellow forewings marked with reddish brown and white hindwings with a fuscous terminal line.
Loxostege offumalis
Loxostege offumalis is a small crambid moth described by George Duryea Hulst in 1886. The species is known only from California in western North America. Adults are active in early spring, with flight records from February to March. The moth has been documented as a host for the mason wasp Euodynerus annulatus.
Loxostege thallophilalis
Loxostege thallophilalis is a moth species in the family Crambidae, first described by George Duryea Hulst in 1886. It belongs to the genus Loxostege, which includes several species commonly known as webworms. The species has been recorded as a host for the mason wasp Euodynerus annulatus, which provisions its nests with caterpillars of this moth.
Munroeodes
Munroeodes is a genus of snout moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Pyraustinae. It was erected by Amsel in 1957 and contains four described species distributed across the Neotropical region. The genus is characterized by distinctive wing patterns and transparent areas in some species.
Munroeodes thalesalis
Munroeodes thalesalis is a moth species in the family Crambidae, first described by Francis Walker in 1859. It belongs to the subfamily Pyraustinae. The species is known from Honduras, with limited published information available regarding its biology and ecology.
Nacoleia charesalis
Nacoleia charesalis is a moth species in the family Crambidae, first described by Francis Walker in 1859. The species exhibits a broad Indo-Pacific distribution spanning from South Asia through Southeast Asia to Australia and the western Indian Ocean. Larvae have been documented feeding on several species of Shorea (Dipterocarpaceae), indicating a specialized association with this tree genus.
Nascia
Nascia is a genus of grass moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Pyraustinae. The genus was established by John Curtis in 1835 and contains three recognized species distributed across parts of Europe and North America. These are small to medium-sized moths associated with grassland habitats.
Neohelvibotys arizonensis
Neohelvibotys arizonensis is a small crambid moth described by H.W. Capps in 1967. The species occurs in the southwestern United States and Mexico, with a wingspan of 20–24 mm. Adults are active during summer months, with flight periods varying by latitude and elevation.
Oenobotys texanalis
A small moth in the family Crambidae, described in 1976 from Texas specimens. The specific epithet refers to its Texas type locality. As a member of Pyraustinae, it belongs to a diverse subfamily of grass moths, though its specific biology remains poorly documented.
Orphanostigma
Orphanostigma is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, established by William Warren in 1890. The genus contains at least seven described species distributed across tropical and subtropical regions. One species, Orphanostigma abruptalis, has been documented as an agricultural pest of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), where larvae fold leaves lengthwise and web them to the plant.
Ostrinia marginalis
Ostrinia marginalis is a small crambid moth described by Francis Walker in 1866. It is found across northern North America from Newfoundland and Maine westward through the Canadian provinces to the Yukon and Northwest Territories. The species is associated with wetland habitats, specifically bogs and marshes. Its larvae feed on Rumex (dock) and Polygonum (knotweed) species.
Portentomorpha
Portentomorpha is a monotypic genus of crambid moths established by Hans Georg Amsel in 1956. The genus contains a single species, Portentomorpha xanthialis, and serves as the type genus for the tribe Portentomorphini. The genus is distributed across the southeastern United States, Caribbean islands, and tropical regions of Central and South America.
Pseudopyrausta marginalis
Pseudopyrausta marginalis is a small crambid moth described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1914. The species exhibits a broad transcontinental distribution across North America, with records from Alaska to Quebec and south to Texas, as well as in Panama. Adults are active from late spring through autumn.
Pyrausta
Mint Moths
Pyrausta is a speciose genus of crambid moths commonly known as mint moths. Larvae of various species feed on diverse host plants including mints (Mentha), monardas, Prunella vulgaris, and other herbaceous plants. Several species are significant agricultural or horticultural pests, notably Pyrausta nubilalis (European corn borer), a major pest of maize with a nearly worldwide distribution. The genus exhibits considerable variation in host specialization, with some species restricted to single host genera while others are polyphagous.
Pyrausta acrionalis
mint-loving pyrausta moth
Pyrausta acrionalis, commonly known as the mint-loving pyrausta moth, is a small crambid moth native to eastern North America. Adults have a wingspan of 14–18 mm. Larvae feed specifically on leaves of Mentha (mint) species. The species is part of the snout moth family, characterized by elongated mouthparts.
Pyrausta atropurpuralis
A small crambid moth described by Grote in 1877, found in the southwestern United States. Adults have a wingspan of 15–18 mm with distinctive reddish-brown forewings bearing a purplish tinge and fuscous hindwings paler at the base. Adult activity has been recorded in September.
Pyrausta augustalis
Pyrausta augustalis is a small crambid moth described by Grote in 1875. It ranges from Texas through Mexico to Central America, with adults recorded active in March, June–July, and November. The wingspan is approximately 18 mm. The species belongs to the genus Pyrausta, which includes several herbivorous species whose larvae feed on flowering plants.
Pyrausta cardinalis
Pyrausta cardinalis is a small crambid moth described by Achille Guenée in 1854. Adults have a wingspan of approximately 12 mm. The species is restricted to the Caribbean region and southern Florida. Adults have been documented in March in Florida.
Pyrausta insignitalis
dark-banded pyrausta moth
Pyrausta insignitalis is a small crambid moth commonly known as the dark-banded pyrausta moth. First described by Guenée in 1854, this species is found in the southeastern United States, the West Indies, and extends through Central and South America. It is a member of the snout moth family, characterized by elongated mouthparts projecting from the head.
Pyrausta laticlavia
Southern Purple Mint Moth
Pyrausta laticlavia, commonly known as the southern purple mint moth, is a small crambid moth with a wingspan of approximately 17 mm. The species occurs across the southern and western United States and has demonstrated northward range expansion in California during the 1990s. Adults are active during summer months, with flight periods varying by location.
Pyrausta morenalis
Pyrausta morenalis is a small crambid moth described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1908. It occurs in western North America from Washington to California and westward to Texas and Nevada, with additional records in Mexico. The species has a wingspan of 18–22 mm and exhibits distinctive dark reddish-brown forewings with a bronzy sheen contrasting with pale hindwings. Adults are active primarily from spring through mid-summer, with some records extending into autumn and early winter.
Salbia
Salbia is a genus of crambid moths (family Crambidae, subfamily Pyraustinae) established by Achille Guenée in 1854. The genus contains leaf-rolling species, including Salbia lotanalis, which has been studied as a potential biological control agent for the invasive tree Miconia calvescens. Larvae feed on Melastomataceae and construct leaf rolls for shelter.
Saucrobotys
Saucrobotys is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, established by Munroe in 1976. The genus contains at least two described species: Saucrobotys fumoferalis and Saucrobotys futilalis. Larvae of at least one species, S. futilalis (the dogbane webworm), are known to feed on dogbane (Apocynum spp.), sequestering the plant's toxic cardenolides for their own chemical defense.
Saucrobotys fumoferalis
dusky saucrobotys moth
Saucrobotys fumoferalis is a small crambid moth found across northern and western North America. Adults are active from spring through late summer, with a wingspan of approximately 30 mm. The species is notable for its larval association with hickory trees (Carya species), where caterpillars feed on leaves. It inhabits boreal forests, mixed forests, and woodlots across a broad geographic range from the Yukon to California and from Nova Scotia to British Columbia.
Sericoplaga
Sericoplaga is a monotypic moth genus in the family Crambidae, established by William Warren in 1892. The genus contains a single species, Sericoplaga externalis, also described by Warren in the same year. This genus is endemic to North America.
Sericoplaga externalis
Falcate Sericoplaga
Sericoplaga externalis is a moth species in the family Crambidae and the sole member of its genus. It is found in eastern and central North America, ranging from Maryland to Illinois and south to Florida and Texas. The species is commonly known as the Falcate Sericoplaga. It has been documented in 1,479 iNaturalist observations, indicating it is moderately well-recorded but not extensively studied.
Sitochroa aureolalis
Sitochroa aureolalis is a small crambid moth described by George Duryea Hulst in 1886. It occurs in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Adults are active in spring and late summer, with a bimodal flight pattern. The species is distinguished by its bright golden-yellow forewings.
Sitochroa dasconalis
Pearly Indigo Borer
Sitochroa dasconalis is a North American crambid moth known as the Pearly Indigo Borer. First described by Francis Walker in 1859, it occurs from the northeastern United States west to Texas. The species is notable for its larval specialization on Baptisia tinctoria, a leguminous plant commonly called wild indigo. Adults are active during spring and early summer.
Uresiphita
Uresiphita is a genus of crambid moths comprising approximately six recognized species distributed across North America, New Zealand, Europe, and the Middle East. The genus is notable for larval sequestration of quinolizidine alkaloids from leguminous host plants, a chemical defense mechanism against predators. Several species have expanded their ranges through association with introduced host plants.
Xanthostege plana
Xanthostege plana is a crambid moth described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1883. The species is distinguished by its striking wing coloration: dark yellow forewings with a contrasting pinkish-red fringe and translucent straw-colored hindwings. It occurs in the southwestern United States, with confirmed records from Arizona and Texas.