Lepidoptera523 species

Family Pyralid Snout Moths (Pyralidae)

Pyralidae is a family in the order Lepidoptera. Browse 523 named species recorded in this family, or open an individual profile for its available identification and natural-history information.

Species in Pyralidae (523)

Euzophera pinguis

Wingspan 23-28 mm. The diagnostic zigzag lines and bands of dark and pale colour make this species easy to identify. The adults are on the wing in July and August and are attracted to light after dark. The larvae burrow into the bark of Ash trees and

American Plum Borer - Hodges#5995

Euzophera semifuneralis

Identification: Adult: forewing reddish-brown to AM line, which is almost halfway along wing; AM and PM lines white, zigzag, enclosing a large mottled blackish patch that begins at the costa but usually stops short of the inner margin; dark shading i

Fundella argentina - Hodges#5726

Fundella argentina

Determined by Bob Patterson. Type locality Argentina. It may be an introduced species.

Fundella ignobilis - Hodges#5726.1

Fundella ignobilis

Identification: Wing pattern is variable. Best distinguished by genitalia, see Heinrich (1945) and Heinrich (1956). Genitalia:

Wax Moth

Galleria mellonella

Wingspan 29 to 40 mm. The males of this species have a distinctively concave outer edge to the forewing; the females are generally plainer in appearance with a less concave edge. Flying between June and October, the adults can be attracted to light.

Glyphocystis viridivallis - Hodges#5765

Glyphocystis viridivallis

Identification: Blanchard original description is in PDF. Close to Catastia but with "considerable differences in the female genitalia"

Heliades mulleolella - Hodges#5574

Heliades mulleolella

Identification: The original description as Pempelia mulleolella Hulst, is available online in the print references. Thanks to James Hayden , Curator, Florida State Collection of Arthropods, who corrected the identification of this group. Please see

Homoeosoma albescentella - Hodges#5941

Homoeosoma albescentella

Identification: Description can be found in MONA Fascicle 15-4 at link in citations below.

Homoeosoma deceptorium - Hodges#5944

Homoeosoma deceptorium

Homoeosoma eremophasma has an identical COI barcode to H. deceptorium .

American Sunflower Moth

Homoeosoma electella

Homoeosoma electellum, the American sunflower moth, is a species of moth of the family Pyralidae. It is native to North America but also found in South America.

Sunflower moth - Hodges#5935

Homoeosoma electellum

Identification: Powell & Opler (2009) ( 3 ) reported two color phases in both sexes. Gray with a white subcostal streak. Tan with or without the subcostal streak. Specimen identified by DNA analysis (BOLD). ( 4 ) Heinrich (1921) description of larva

Homoeosoma illuviella - Hodges#5939

Homoeosoma illuviella

Identification: The revised description by Heinrich (1956), is available online in the print references below.

Homoeosoma impressalis - Hodges#5942

Homoeosoma impressalis

Identification: Hulst original description and the Heinrich revised description are both available online in the print references.

Homoeosoma sinuella

Wingspan 18-23 mm. Fairly distinctive with its yellowish ground colour and darker banding, it is one of the easier species to identify in its group. This species lives in open habitat on dry soils on old dunes, limestone and chalk grassland, waste gr

Homoeosoma striatellum - Hodges#5937

Homoeosoma striatellum

Identification: Dyar original description online or in PDF. Specimen determined by DNA analysis (BOLD).

Homosassa ella - Hodges#6068

Homosassa ella

Identification: Homosassa ella is the only member of the genus missing the forewing vein M2.

Honora dotella - Hodges#5922

Honora dotella

Identification: Dyar original description and the Heinrich descriptions are online in the print references. Powell & Opler described the basal area of the forewing as rust red. Specimen determined by DNA analysis (BOLD).

Honora mellinella - Hodges#5919

Honora mellinella

Identification: Adult : FW blackish-fuscous. Head and thorax faded ocherous. Interior line white, not continued to costa. Yellow shade-spot below, near inner margin. Two separate, very small, dark, distal dots. Exterior line near the margin, even, n

Hypargyria slossonella - Hodges#5711

Hypargyria slossonella

Identification: The original description as Salebria slossonella Hulst, is available online. (link in the print preferences below). - Determined by Brian Scholtens. Genitalia:

Hypsopygia glaucinalis

Wingspan 23-30 mm. A mid brown coloured moth with two pale lines running across the wings. It frequents sheds and farm buildings, gardens, hay-stacks, thatched roofs and bird nests. On the wing in July and August, when it comes to light. The larvae f

Red-shawled Moth - Hodges#5526

Hypsopygia intermedialis

Identification: Adult: forewing dark brownish-red; AM and PM lines black, bordered with pale yellow; no discal spot; AM line zigzagged; PM line slightly jagged, curving inward near costa to terminate in a pale yellow crescent hindwing light brownish-

Undescribed Hypsopygia - Hodges#5533.85

Hypsopygia new-species

Identification: Much darker than H. olinalis and lacking the yellow fringe, with the yellow markings on the forewings reduced.

Hypsopygia newspecies - Hodges#5533.86

Hypsopygia new-species-two

Identification: "This I [is] the nicest specimen I have seen of a moth first discovered by Mike Rickard in 2015 [2012] at Santa Ana NWR. It is a species of Hypsopygia according to Alma Solis probably undescribed.” - Ed Knudson, pers. comm., 2018. Ful

Hypsopygia phoezalis - Hodges#5527

Hypsopygia phoezalis

Dolichomia, Herculia, Cisse, Buzala, Ocrasa, Bejuda, Pseudasopia, and Orthopygia were synonymized with Hypsopygia in Leraut (2006a) .

Immyrla nigrovittella - Hodges#5766

Immyrla nigrovittella

Identification: Dyar (1906) original description online. 108 Engel (1909) reported the species is not often attracted to lights.

Interjectio denticulella - Hodges#5755

Interjectio denticulella

Identification: Forewing white with thin, black longitudinal streaks and conspicuous, narrow, triangular black spot just before the AM line. Some specimens exhibit only weakly formed dark marks on forewings; some are dark overall with usual white gro

Interjectio niviella - Hodges#5758

Interjectio niviella

Identification: The Heinrich revised description is available in PDF or view online in the print references below.

Scale-feeding Snout Moth - Hodges#5949

Laetilia coccidivora

Uses carminic acid acquired from its food as a defense against predators (Eisner et. al., 1994)

Laetilia zamacrella - Hodges#5950

Laetilia zamacrella

Identification: Description notes adapted from Heinrich. Forewing has small area of black at base. The white antemedial line is slightly indented at fold, and bordered on both sides with blackish brown. The discal spot is black. The white subterminal

Theresian Moth

Lamoria anella

Lamoria anella is a species of snout moth described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is found in most of Europe (except Ireland, Great Britain, Fennoscandia, Denmark, the Baltic region and Slovenia), the Canary Islands, as well a

Lipographis unicolor - Hodges#5888.1

Lipographis unicolor

Described from seven males and two females collected one night 31 July, 2011 in recently burned pine forest in Gila National Forest, Catron County, NM

Macalla glastianalis - Hodges#5576.1

Macalla glastianalis

Macalla glastianalis was listed as Incertae sedis in Solis. It requires a new genus, inclusion of several Neotropical species, and description of new species. It was first collected by A. Blanchard in Texas in the early 1970’s (MAS unpub.) .

Zeller's Macalla - Hodges#5579

Macalla zelleri

Identification: Adult : Head/thorax has low longitudinal "crest" of raised brown scales in two parallel rows; forewing basally dark brownish-gray; black AM line nearly perpendicular to costal and inner margins, wavy, with sharply contrasting white o

Macrorrhinia aureofasciella - Hodges#5912

Macrorrhinia aureofasciella

Identification: The Heinrich 1956 revised description and the Hulst 1890 description as Dolichorrhina aureofasciella (Ragonot) are both available online in the print references below. , Orange band is sometimes absent. Photo determined by Brian Schol

Alligatorweed Stemborer - Hodges#5913

Macrorrhinia endonephele

First introduced to the United States in 1971 as a possible biological control of the accidentally introduced pest alligatorweed, Alternanthera philoxeroides (Amaranthaceae). ( 4 )

Martia arizonella - Hodges#5903

Martia arizonella

Identification: Shaffer (1968) revised description is in PDF. ( 3 )

Matilella fusca

Wingspan around 26 mm with a dull brownish colouration. Unless identified by a recognised expert, a photo is required. If the photo doesn't show the key ID features then in the comments box describe the size and identifying characters you have observ

Megasis edwardsialis - Hodges#5865

Megasis edwardsialis

Identification: The original description as Megaphysis edwardsialis Hulst, and the Heinrich revised description of Sarata edwardsialis (Hulst) are both available online in the print references below. Determined by Brian Scholtens , “I dissected and c

Megasis iota - Hodges#5879

Megasis iota

Identification: Genitalia: Sarata iota Heinrich, 1956, excluded from Neunzig (2003), is treated as "valid unassociated female" in the 1983 Hodges checklist and in Scholtens & Solis (2015), ZooKeys. 535: 1-136.

Megasis nigrifasciella - Hodges#5872

Megasis nigrifasciella

Identification: The Heinrich 1956 revised description of Sarata nigrifasciella Ragonot, is available online in the print references below. ID confirmed by Brian Scholtens

Melitara apicigrammella - Hodges#5971.3

Melitara apicigrammella

Identification: The only Melitara with short black longitudinal lines in the terminal area of the forewing. The other species have black dots in the terminal area.

Melitara doddalis - Hodges# 5971.1

Melitara doddalis

Identification: "Melitara doddalis adults have extensive dark-brown or black suffusions in the posterior half of the fore wing (plate 3, figure 16), and the black line associ ated with the antemedial line is missing, or weakly formed." Genitalia: ♀ ♂

Melitara junctolineella - Hodges#5972

Melitara junctolineella

Identification: Among the largest of the Phycitini, may be mistaken for a noctuid. Genitalia:

Melitara subumbrella - Hodges#5973

Melitara subumbrella

Identification: Larvae are white with pale purple cross-bands.

Poplar Bud Borer Moth - Hodges#5786

Meroptera cviatella

Identification: Adult : Basal area, the costa and the inner margin of the FW are broadly bright reddish brown, while the center beyond the base is purplish gray. Mark Dreiling's DNA Specimen

Milgithea alboplagialis - Hodges#5581

Milgithea alboplagialis

Identification: Dyar original description as Cacozelia alboplagialis is available in PDF. Reported on the Moths of Southeastern Arizona website as Cacozelia alboplagialis . (no photo).

Darker Moodna Moth - Hodges#6005

Moodna ostrinella

Identification: See comments on images--differentiate from other members of this genus.

Paler Moodna Moth - Hodges#6005.1

Moodna pallidostrinella

Paler Moodna Moth - Hodges#6005.1 (Moodna pallidostrinella) is a species in the family Pyralidae, commonly known as pyralid moths, belonging to the order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths). It is classified within the subfamily Phycitinae, tribe Phy

Moodnodes plorella - Hodges#6074.1

Moodnodes plorella

Identification: Similar in appearance and size to species of Ephestiodes and Australephestiodes . Dark, broad outer band of forewing AM line is distinctive.

Thistle Ermine

Myelois circumvoluta

Wingspan 27-33 mm. This is a very distinctive moth, rather reminiscent of a larger version of the Yponomeutidae family. Found in habitats where the foodplants (Thistles) grow. Flying in June and July, the adults can be attracted to light. As the name

Myelopsis alatella - Hodges#5720

Myelopsis alatella

Identification: A fairly large (8 - 13.5 mm) pale Phycitine with an overall silvery gray or pale buffy gray aspect and strongly oblique AM and PM lines on the forewings. Distinguished from the very similar congener Myelopsis minutulella by the lack

Myelopsis minutulella - Hodges#5719

Myelopsis minutulella

Identification: A fairly large (9 - 11 mm) Phycitine with an overall silvery gray aspect and oblique AM and PM lines on the forewings. Distinguished by the presence of small buffy patches at the inner base of the forewings; the very similar congener

Myelopsis subtetricella - Hodges#5718

Myelopsis subtetricella

Identification: Original description: "19 - 22 mm. Fore wings elongate, oval, very narrow at base, strongly rounded on costa, dark gray, much suffused with brownish, glossy, first line broad, oblique, straight, gray, indistinct, edged outwardly by a

Negalasa fumalis - Hodges#5551

Negalasa fumalis

Identification: Barnes & McDunnough (1913) description stated. ♂ "Palpi, head and thorax pale ochraceous; tufts on legs smoky brown, primaries, pale to deep ochraceous, slightly sprinkled with smoky scales and shaded with smoky along costa, crossed b

Olybria furciferella - Hodges#5769

Olybria furciferella

Identification: The winter season Pima County, Arizona photos in this guide were tentatively identified as Olybria furciferella by Brian G. Scholtens . He stated these could be another species possibly something undescribed.

Omphalocera cariosa - Hodges#5625

Omphalocera cariosa

Omphalocera cariosa has dimorphic larvae. "Adults look very much the same but the caterpillars that feed on Agarita in the spring look a little different than those that feed on Snailseed in the fall. Wagner thinks there are probably two different sp

Oncocera semirubella

Wingspan 17 to 29 mm. A beautifully coloured little moth, with pink and yellow forewings, sometimes exhibiting a whitish stripe along the leading edge of the forewing. Unless identified by a recognised expert, a photo is required. If the photo doesn'

Oreana unicolorella - Hodges#5767

Oreana unicolorella

Identification: Specimens identified by DNA analysis: Genitalia: ♀ ♂ This species is represented on BOLD by a pair of closely related BINs with about 3% sequence divergence, indicating that there is an undescribed cryptic species in this genus.

Parachma Moth - Hodges#5538

Parachma ochracealis

Identification: Adult: forewing variably yellowish-brown, reddish-brown, yellowish-gray, or grayish-brown, slightly flared near base, giving "shouldered" appearance; AM and PM lines pale yellow, almost straight; terminal line dark reddish-brown; frin

Passadena flavidorsella - Hodges#5899

Passadena flavidorsella

Identification: Detailed description can be found in MONA Fascicle 15-5 at link in citations below.

Penthesilea difficilis - Hodges#5554

Penthesilea difficilis

Identification: Original description of Tetraschistis leucogramma Hampson is online at the link in the print references below.

Penthesilea sacculalis - Hodges#5555

Penthesilea sacculalis

Identification: Ragonot (1890) original description of Penthesilea sacculalis is available online and linked in the print references.

Peoria floridella - Hodges#6046

Peoria floridella

Peoria floridella - Hodges#6046 (Peoria floridella) is a species in the family Pyralidae, commonly known as pyralid moths, belonging to the order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths). It is classified within the subfamily Phycitinae, tribe Peoriini, s

Long-palps Peoria - Hodges#6042

Peoria longipalpella

Identification: Adult: forewing brownish-gray with dark diffuse diagonal markings in AM and PM areas; AM marking angles slightly toward base from inner margin to costa, whereas PM marking angles slightly toward apex from inner margin to costa; upper

Peoria opacella - Hodges#6045

Peoria opacella

Identification: The original description as Anerastia opacella Hulst is available online in the print references below. Adult: Head and thorax fuscous brown Forewing inner margin half is blackish-gray Forewing costal half is lighter near white and d

Peoria tetradella - Hodges#6044

Peoria tetradella

Identification: Adult: forewing light brownish-gray with speckled whitish strip along length of costa; strip has 3 or 4 dark diagonal streaks in distal half; cubital vein (in center of wing) covered with white scales; other veins in distal half of wi

Philodema rhoiella - Hodges#5885

Philodema rhoiella

Identification: See original description in print references below.

Phobus funerella - Hodges#5815

Phobus funerella

Identification: The Heinrich revised description is available in PDF and online in the print references below. Hindwing is brownish gray. Specimens identified by DNA analysis (BOLD). Genitalia:

Phobus incertus - Hodges#5817

Phobus incertus

Phobus incertus - Hodges#5817 (Phobus incertus) is a species in the family Pyralidae, commonly known as pyralid moths, belonging to the order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths). It is classified within the subfamily Phycitinae, tribe Phycitini, supe

Phycita roborella

Wingspan 24 to 29 mm. The adults of this quite attractive species have a subtle pattern of red, black and grey on the upper wings. Various especially in well wooded areas containing Oak. The single generation is on the wing in July and August, when i

Phycitodes binaevella

Wingspan 22-27 mm. The easiest of the three British species of Phycitodes to identify; it is the largest and has large blackish dots on a paler ground colour. The resting posture where the wings are rolled tightly around the body is common to the gro

Phycitodes mucidella - Hodges#5946

Phycitodes mucidella

Identification: "Smooth, obscure cinereous, thickly dusted with white on costal half. Lines obsolete, the inner represented by three black dots, the upper and lower of which are very small, the middle one more outwardly placed; outer line indicated b

Phycitodes reliquellum - Hodges#5946.2

Phycitodes reliquellum

Phycitodes saxicola

Wingspan about 17mm. Part of a complex of three very similar species occurring in Britain, this is generally the smallest. To be certain of the identification of adults, reference to the genitalic structure is advised. P. saxicola feeds on various ot

White-edged Pima Moth - Hodges#5747

Pima albiplagiatella

Identification: The original Packard description as Myelois albiplagiatella , and the Heinrich revised description of Pima albiplagiatella are both available online in the print references.

Pima occidentalis - Hodges#5747.1

Pima occidentalis

Identification: Specimen identified by DNA analysis (BOLD). ( 3 )

Pococera baptisiella - Hodges#5619

Pococera baptisiella

Identification: The Fernald (1887) and Hulst (1889) descriptions are available in the print references below.

Pococera callipeplella - Hodges# 5599

Pococera callipeplella

Identification: Quoted from Hulst, 1888: " Tetralopha callipeplella , n. sp. Expands 16 mm. Palp, head, antennae, and thorax uneven fuscus gray; forewings gray, rather strongly overlaid with blackish, more especially on the basal field; extreme base

Mesquite Leaf Tier - Hodges#5620

Pococera euphemella

Identification: Species page created based on this image determined by Ed Knudson, Texas Lepidoptera Survey, Houston:

Pococera maritimalis - Hodges#5603

Pococera maritimalis

Identification: Specimen determined by DNA (BOLD) ( 4 )

Pine Webworm - Hodges#5595

Pococera robustella

Natural enemies keep them from being a serious pest under normal circumstances, with the damage being mostly cosmetic- though they can completely strip the needles from smaller seedlings.

White-aproned Pococera Moth - Hodges#5596

Pococera scortealis

Identification: Specimen identified by DNA analysis:

Pococera tiltella - Hodges#5616

Pococera tiltella

Identification: W[anda] tiltella , n. sp. Expands 20 mm, Head, thorax and fore wings gray, peppered over with black scales, giving a general blackish gray color; basal space somewhat darker than the rest of the fore wings; at the middle of basal fiel

Protasia mirabilicornella - Hodges#5993.1

Protasia mirabilicornella

The identified specimens on BOLD yielded only partial barcodes; a specimen from the Los Angeles area may also represent this species. If so, Protasia is likely a junior synonym of Eumysia ; refer to remarks here .

Protasia nr. mirabilicornella

Protasia nr-mirabilicornella

These specimens may represent an undescribed species near Protasia mirabilicornella , which was described from San Diego. The pinned specimens shown here are misidentified on BOLD as Eumysia fuscatella , which they do not closely resemble in maculati

Pseudocabima arizonensis - Hodges#5994.2

Pseudocabima arizonensis

Identification: Male genitalia as for genus , female genitalia distinguished by signa (Heinrich, 1956)

Appleleaf Skeletonizer - Hodges#5931

Psorosina hammondi

Identification: "♂ differs from ♀ in the basal portion of the antennae being curved, and the curve filled with a tuft of scales."

Pyla aequivoca - Hodges#5824

Pyla aequivoca

Identification: Original description online: (143) - Determined Chuck Harp.

Pyla fusca - Hodges#5829

Pyla fusca

Identification: head and eyes very dark or black forewings long and slender, black with scattered pale speckling; two zigzag bands (sometimes indistinct) cross each wing, the inner edge of the basal band forms a whitish patch in the midline when the

Pyla impostor - Hodges#5823

Pyla impostor

Identification: The original description is available in PDF or view online in the print references below.

Pyla insinuatrix - Hodges#5826

Pyla insinuatrix

Identification: The most clearly marked species of all the gray Pyla with strong contrast between the pale and dark areas of the forewings.

Quasisalebria fructella - Hodges#5777

Quasisalebria fructetella

Identification: Genitalia: Ann Hendrickson, July 6, 2024 While DNA shows that this species can be found in Texas, I believe it to be uncommon. Although I see quite a few in the Genus, this is the only specimen that has tested Q. fructella .

Reynosa floscella - Hodges#6072

Reynosa floscella

Identification: Determined by Ed Knudson (Texas Lepidoptera Survey)

Rhagea packardella - Hodges#5966

Rhagea packardella

Identification: Description can be found in MONA Fascicle 15-4 at link in citations below.

Rhodophaea formosa

Wingspan 20 to 23mm. An attractive red, grey and black species. Rather secretive in habits. It is not often encountered by day but can be attracted to light at night. The adults are on the wing from June until August. The larvae feed in a slight web

Rostrolaetilia texanella - Hodges#5962

Rostrolaetilia texanella

Identification: The original description is available in PDF. ( 3 )

Rumatha bihinda - Hodges#5979

Rumatha bihinda

Identification: Dyar original description as Zophodia bihinda is online in the print references. Heinrich and Heinrich descriptions of the adult, including genitalia, are both in PDF. Specimen determined by DNA analysis (BOLD).

Rumatha glaucatella - Hodges#5978

Rumatha glaucatella

Identification: From MONA Fascicle 15.4 - "...mostly white and rather small (wing length 7.0-9.0 mm)."

Rumatha jacumba - Hodges#5979.1

Rumatha jacumba

Identification: Description can be found in MONA Fascicle 15-4 at link in citations below.

Salebriaria ademptandella - Hodges#5770.1

Salebriaria ademptandella

Identification: Determined by Ed Knudson (Texas Lepidoptera Survey) Genitalia: