Pyralidae
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Pyralidae | ||||||||||||||
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Sceliodes cordalis
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Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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Diversity | ||||||||||||||
? genera c.6,150 species |
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Type species | ||||||||||||||
Pyralis farinalis Linnaeus, 1758 |
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Subfamilies | ||||||||||||||
Acentropinae |
The Pyralidae or snout moths are a family of Lepidoptera.
In many classifications, the Crambidae or grass moths have been treated as a sub-division of the Pyralidae, the combination being one of the largest families in the Lepidoptera. The latest review by Munroe & Solis, in Kristensen (1999)[citation needed] retains the Crambidae as a full family.
[edit] Waxworms
Waxworms are the larvae of wax moths.
[edit] Harmful Pyralids
- Sunflower Moth, Homoeosoma nebulella
- Indian Meal Moth, Plodia interpunctella - cosmopolitan pests, dining on stored grains, spices, and similar dry vegetable products
- Meal Moth, Pyralis farinalis - cosmopolitan, larvae infest store grain
- Greater Wax Moth, Galleria mellonella - Parasite of bee hives
- Lesser Wax Moth, Achroia grisella - Parasite of bee hives
Note that the European Corn Borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) is located in the Crambidae which, as noted above, is currently regarded as a separate family.
[edit] Useful Pyralids
- Alligator Weed Stem Borer, Arcola malloi - a biological pest control agent used against the alligator weed
- Water Veneer, Acentria ephemerella - a biocontrol agent used against Eurasian watermilfoil