PYRALIDAE in Australia Webworms, Meal, Flour, & Frass Moths PYRALOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley

PYRALIDAE eggs

PYRALIDAE caterpillars

PYRALIDAE pupae

PYRALIDAE moths

PYRALIDAE undersides

The PYRALIDAE originally included a number of subfamilies which have since been placed in the family CRAMBIDAE. They were first separated out as a distinct group by Munroe in 1972 based on the presence or absence of an organ called the praecinctorium. When present, this is a flimsy bilobed structure lying on the mid-line between medially fused tympanic bullae, and this group were called the Crambiformes. When absent, the tympanic bullae are quite clearly separated, and this group were called the Pyraliformes. Later, the separate groups were elevated to the families CRAMBIDAE and PYRALIDAE, particularly by Hennig.

The prominent members of the 462 named species of the family PYRALIDAE in Australia are here included in the 6 subfamilies :

CHRYSAUGINAE 8 species

ENDOTRICHINAE 29 species

EPIPASCHIINAE 79 species

GALLERIINAE 60 species

PHYCITINAE 253 species

PYRALINAE 34 species

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(updated 15 December 2014, 9 July 2023)