MOTHS OF BELIZE
SPECIES LISTS BY FAMILY
Pyralidae
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GENERAL FAMILY DESCRIPTION
The Pyralidae are probably the largest moth family, with over 25,000 described species
and perhaps four times as many species as yet undescribed (Scoble, 1992). With very few
exceptions most pyralids have a wingspan of under 35 millimetres and are hence often
regarded as 'microlepidoptera'. The family is split into two major divisions - the
'Pyraliform' subfamilies and the 'Crambiform' subfamilies. The Pyraliforms include
six subfamilies - the Endotrichinae; the Chrysauginae; the Galleriinae; the Epipaschiinae;
the Phycitinae and the Peoriinae. The Crambiform subfamilies include the Crambinae; the
Midilinae; the Schoenobiinae; the Cybalomiinae; the Linostinae; the Nymphulinae;the
Evergestinae; the Musotiminae; the Scopariinae; the Pyraustinae; the Odontiinae;
the Dichogaminae; the Spilomelinae and the Glaphyriinae. Representatives of the
The Pyralidae are extremely variable in appearance; however, most species have a characteristic
'triangular' appearance to their wings and have immensely long legs which extand far behind
the hind wing when at rest or mounted. Most pyralid larva 'hide' in some way - either as
leaf-miners, leaf-rollers or borers and many species are important agricultural pests. A
modern checklist of the described neotropical species in this family is given by
Heppner (1995). 4,562 named species are listed by Heppner for the Neotropics;
of these I currently list 152 species from Belize in the subfamilies Pyraustinae
and Pyralinae only - although I have that same number again in other subfamilies
awaiting identification.
SUBFAMILIES present in Belize: (click on link to go to species list for that subfamily)
CHRYSAUGINAE (under construction)
CRAMBINAE (under construction)
DICHOGAMINAE (under construction)
EPIPASCHIINAE (under construction)
EVERGESTIINAE (under construction)
GALLERIINAE (under construction)
GLAPHYRIINAE (under construction)
MUSOTIMINAE (under construction)
NYMPHULINAE (under construction)
ODONTIINAE (under construction)
PHYCITINAE (under construction)
PYRALINAE
PYRAUSTINAE
SCOPARIINAE (under construction)
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