The Epipaschiinae are a subfamily of snout moths (family Pyralidae). More than 720 species are known today, which are found mainly in the tropics and subtropics. Some occur in temperate regions, but the subfamily is apparently completely absent from Europe, at least as native species. A few Epipaschiinae are crop pests that may occasionally become economically significant.

Description and ecology Adult females are often hard to distinguish from related lineages, and even the larvae do not possess the characteristic sclerotized bristle base near the start of the abdomen, whose position is a tell-tale mark of the other subfamilies of Pyralidae.

By contrast, the adult males of Epipaschiinae are easier to recognize, and three of their traits support the assumption that Epipaschiinae are a natural, monophyletic group: an always upturned and pointed third segment of the labial palpi a ventrally curved phallobase of the male which usually extends beyond the ductus ejaculatorius the weakly sclerotized tegumen In addition, in most cases the adult males of this subfamily have a conspicuous scaled projection from the scape of the antennae.

The caterpillar larvae are leaf rollers, leaf tiers and leaf miners. As pests, they infest such diverse plants as Persea americana (avocado), Swietenia (mahoganies), or Zea mays (corn). However, they are usually a mere nuisance and do not cause large-scale crop failure.

Systematics

Alma Solis (1993) provided a phylogenetic analysis of 20 genera of the Pococera complex, consisting of some 300 species in the Western Hemisphere.

Accinctapubes Solis, 1993 Agastophanes Turner, 1937 Anaeglis Lederer, 1863 Anarnatula Dyar, 1918 Anexophana Viette, 1960 Apocera Schaus, 1912 (= Paranatula Dyar, 1913) Araeopaschia Hampson, 1906 (= Aroeopaschia Amsel, 1956) Astrapometis Meyrick, 1884 Austropaschia Hampson, 1916 Axiocrita Turner, 1913 Bibasilaris Solis, 1993 Cacozelia Grote, 1878 Calybitia Schaus, 1922 Canipsa Walker, 1866 (= Sarama Moore, 1888, Scopocera Moore, 1888) Carthara Walker, 1865 (= Leptosphetta Butler, 1878, Pycnulia Zeller, 1881) Catalaodes Viette, 1953 Catamola Meyrick, 1884 (= Elaphernis Meyrick, 1936) Cecidipta Berg, 1877 (= Acecidipta Amsel, 1956) Chloropaschia Hampson, 1906 Coenodomus Walsingham, 1888 (= Alippa Aurivillius, 1894, Dyaria Neumoegen, 1893) Dasyvesica Solis, 1991 Deuterollyta Lederer, 1863 (= Ajacania Schaus, 1925, Ajocara Schaus, 1925, Oedomia Dognin, 1906, Winona Hulst, 1888) Doddiana Turner, 1902 Elisabethinia Ghesquière, 1942 Ephedrophila Dumont, 1928 Epilepia Janse, 1931 Epipaschia Clemens, 1860 Eublemmodes Gaede, 1917 Geropaschia Hampson, 1917 (= Araeopaschia Hampson, 1916) Glossopaschia Dyar, 1914 Heminomistis Meyrick, 1933 Homura Lederer, 1863 Incarcha Dyar, 1910 Isolopha Hampson, 1895 (= Islopha Janse, 1931) Jocara Walker, 1863 (= Toripalpus Grote, 1878) Lacalma Janse, 1931 Lameerea Ghesquière, 1942 Lamida Walker, 1859 (= Allata Walker, 1863) Lepidogma Meyrick, 1890 (= Asopina Christoph, 1893, Precopia Ragonot, 1891) Lepipaschia J. C. Shaffer & Solis, 1994 Leptoses Ghesquière, 1942 Lista Walker, 1859 (= Belonepholis Butler, 1889, Craneophora Christoph, 1881, Paracme Lederer, 1863) Locastra Walker, 1859 (= Taurica Walker, 1866) Macalla Walker, 1859 (= Aradrapha Walker, 1866, Mochlocera Grote, 1876, Pseudomacalla Dognin, 1908) Mazdacis Solis, 1993 Mediavia Solis, 1993 Micropaschia Hampson, 1906 Milgithea Schaus, 1922 (= Miligithea Neave, 1940) Mimaglossa Warren, 1891 Neopaschia Janse, 1922 Noctuides Staudinger, 1892 (= Anartula Staudinger, 1893, Arnatula Hampson, 1896, Parorthaga Hampson, 1896) Nouanda Holland & Schaus, 1925 Nyctereutica Turner, 1904 (= Diastrophica Turner, 1937) Obutobea Ghesquière, 1942 Odontopaschia Hampson, 1903 Omphalepia Hampson, 1906 Omphalota Hampson, 1899 Oneida Hulst, 1889 Orthaga Walker, 1859 (= Edeta Walker, 1859, Hyperbalanotis Warren, 1891, Pannucha Moore, 1888, Proboscidophora Warren, 1891) Oxyalcia Dognin, 1905 Pandoflabella Solis, 1993 Parastericta Janse, 1931 Peplochora Meyrick, 1933 Phidotricha Ragonot, 1889 (= Eutrichocera Hampson, 1904, Jocarula Dyar, 1925) Plumiphora Janse, 1931 Plutopaschia Hampson, 1917 Pococera Zeller, 1848 (= Attacapa Hulst, 1889, Auradisa Walker, 1866, Benta Walker, 1863, Hemimatia Lederer, 1863, Katona Hulst, 1888, Lanthaphe Clemens, 1860, Lanthape Hulst, 1903, Loma Hulst, 1888, Saluda Hulst, 1888, Tetralopha Zeller, 1848, Tioga Hulst, 1888, Afra Ghesquière, 1942, Wanda Hulst, 1888) Poliopaschia Hampson, 1916 Polylophota Hampson, 1906 Pseudocera Walker, 1863 Quadraforma Solis, 1993 Rhynchopaschia Hampson, 1906 Roeseliodes Warren, 1891 Salma Walker, 1863 (= Calinipaxa Walker, 1866, Enchesphora Turner, 1913, Exacosmia Walker, 1865, Heterobella Turner, 1904, Heterobela Turner, 1904, Orthotrichophora Warren, 1891, Parasarama Warren, 1890, Parasamera Sharp, 1892, Pseudolocastra Snellen, 1890, Pseudolocastra Warren, 1891) Schoutedenidea Ghesquière, 1942 Sparactica Meyrick, 1938 Spectrotrota Warren, 1891 Speiroceras Chrétien, 1911 Stericta Lederer, 1863 (= Glossina Guenée, 1854, Matalia Walker, 1866, Oncobela Turner, 1937, Phialia Walker, 1866) Sultania Koçak, 1987 Taiwanastrapometis Shibuya, 1928 Tallula Hulst, 1888 Tancoa Schaus, 1922 Teliphasa Moore, 1888 (= Sultania Koçak, 1987) Termioptycha Meyrick, 1889 (= Sialocyttara Turner, 1913) Tineopaschia Hampson, 1916 Titanoceros Meyrick, 1884 Trichotophysa Warren, 1896 Yuma Hulst, 1889

References

(2011): Epipaschiinae Meyrick Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved May 12, 2017. (2007): Phylogenetic studies and modern classification of the Pyraloidea (Lepidoptera). Revista Colombiana de Entomología 33(1): 1–8 [English with Spanish abstract]. HTML fulltext

External links

Macalla thyrsisalis, mahogany webworm at the University of Florida Featured Creatures website Pococera robustella, pine webworm at the University of Florida Featured Creatures website