Pyralinae


The Pyralinae are the typical subfamily of snout moths and occur essentially worldwide, in some cases aided by involuntary introduction by humans. They are rather rare in the Americas however, and their diversity in the Australian region is also limited. Altogether, this subfamily includes about 900 described species, but new ones continue to be discovered. Like many of their relatives in the superfamily Pyraloidea, the caterpillar larvae of Pyralinae - and in some cases even the adults - have evolved the ability to use unusual foods for nutrition; a few of these can become harmful to humans as pests of stored goods.

Description and ecology

This subfamily unites mid-sized to smallish moths with a more or less cryptic coloration including most often various hues of brownish colors. Adult females of Pyralinae are characterized by the short genital ductus bursae, their corpus bursae barely extending forward beyond abdominal segment 7. Otherwise they are undistinguished mid-sized moths which at least sometimes can be differentiated from their relatives by possessing forewing vein 7 and having hindwing veins 7 and 8 unjoined as adults.
The meal moth and the grease moth are pests of stored food products, in the case of the grease moth including fats, and have been inadvertently spread almost worldwide by transport of such goods. Most other species' caterpillars are leaf feeders; the extremely polyphagous larvae of Pyralis manihotalis have been reared from bat guano.

Systematics

The systematics and taxonomy of this subfamily is somewhat provisional. No quantitative phylogenetic analysis had been done as of 2007, but in the mid-late 1990s, Michael Shaffer of the London Natural History Museum and Maria Alma Solis of the National Museum of Natural History prepared the groundwork for further studies by their comprehensive qualitative reviews of Pyralinae morphology. Some cladistic studies of the Pyraloidea do exist however, and these place the Pyralinae among the advanced snout moths, a lineage which otherwise includes the even more autapomorphic subfamilies Epipaschiinae and Phycitinae.
Even though the Pyralinae contain a high number of genera and species, there are a mere three tribes generally accepted nowadays. Others that were proposed earlier are presently treated as junior synonyms of the Pyralini. A large number of genera are considered not to be reliably assignable to one of the three tribes. It is not certain that the presently-used subdivisions of the Pyralinae are the last word on the issue.
The tribes - with some significant genera and species also noted - and the genera of unclear affiliation in this subfamily are:

Endotrichini Ragonot, 1890 Endotricha Zeller, 1847
Hypotiini Chapman, 1902 Hypotia Zeller, 1847
Pyralini

Genera incertae sedisActeniopsis Amsel, 1959Adulis Ragonot, 1891Aglossodes Ragonot, 1891Antisindris Marion, 1955Arctioblepsis C. & R.Felder, 1862Benderia Amsel, 1949Betsimisaraka Marion, 1955Burgeonidea Ghesquière, 1942Celetostola Meyrick, 1936Comaria Ragonot, 1892Cosmethella Munroe & Shaffer, 1980Delopterus Janse, 1922Diboma Walker, 1863Diloxia Hampson, 1896Discordia Swinhoe, 1885Elaealis Hampson, 1906Embryoglossa Warren, 1896Epacternis Meyrick, 1933Ethelontides Meyrick, 1934Euryzonella Ghesquière, 1942Eutrichodes Warren, 1891Grammiphlebia Hampson, 1906Gvelilia Strand, 1920Haplosindris Viette, 1953Heterocrasa Warren, 1896Hirayamaia Marumo, 1917Hyboloma Ragonot, 1891Hypanchyla Warren, 1891Hypsidia Rothschild, 1896Imerina Ragonot, 1891Lamacha Walker, 1863Larice Ragonot, 1892Latagognoma Tams, 1935Lophocera Kenrick, 1917Lorymav Walker, 1859 Lorymana Strand, 1915Lorymodes Hampson, 1917Macropyralis Amsel, 1953Marionana Viette, 1953Maschalandra Meyrick, 1937Meca Karsch, 1900Megalomia Ragonot, 1891Melanalis Hampson, 1906Mesosindris Viette, 1967Methora Walker, 1866Micromystix de Joannis, 1929Mimicia Caradja, 1925Minooa Yamanaka, 1996Mittonia Whalley, 1964Namibina Leraut, 2007Namibiodes Leraut, 2007Neobostra Hampson, 1906Nhoabe Viette, 1953Nussia Leraut, 2009Ocydina Meyrick, 1936Omphalobasella Strand, 1915Omphalomia Swinhoe, 1894Orybina Snellen, 1895Parachmidia Hampson, 1896Paraglossa Hampson, 1906Paraphycita Hampson, 1901Perforadix Sein, 1930Perula Mabille, 1900Peucela Ragonot, 1891Phasga Walker, 1863Pithyllis Grünberg, 1910Poliostola Janse, 1922Polycampsis Warren, 1896Propachys Walker, 1863Proropera Warren, 1896Prosaris Meyrick, 1894Proteinia Hampson, 1896Pseudozitha Leraut, 2007Pyralosis Amsel, 1957Rhynchetera Hampson, 1896Rhynchopygia Hampson, 1896Rostripalpus Hampson, 1896Rungsina Leraut, 2004Sacada Walker, 1862Setomigma Ghesquière, 1942Scotomera Butler, 1881 Sindris Boisduval, 1833Sphalerosticha Warren, 1897Sybrida Walker, 1865Tegulifera Saalmüller, 1880 Toccolosida Walker, 1863Trihauchenia Warren, 1892Triphassa Hübner, 1818Tyndis Ragonot, 1891Vitessidia Rothschild & Jordan, 1905Xenomilia Warren, 1896Zitha Walker,
The genus Micronix, formerly placed here, seems to belong to the Crambidae, but its exact placement is obscure. For a similar case, see Tanaobela.