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.

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 list xx here from the Grenadines.

SUBFAMILIES present in the Grenadines: (click on link to go to species list for that subfamily)