Phycitinae
Encyclopedia
The Phycitinae are a subfamily of snout moths (family
Pyralidae). Even though the Pyralidae subfamilies are all quite diverse, Phycitinae stand out even by standards of their family: with over 600 genera
considered valid and more than 4000 species
placed here at present, they unite up more than three-quarters of living snout moth diversity. Together with the closely related Epipaschiinae
, they are apparently the most advanced lineage of snout moths.
Phycitinae occur all over Earth's land masses, except in completely inhospitable areas; the majority of species has a tropical distribution however. Phycitinae have even been found on very remote oceanic islands, and a few species have been intentionally or unintentionally distributed by humans beyond their native range.
The type species
of this subfamily is Phycita roborella
, under its junior synonym Tinea spissicella. That name was apparently first proposed by J.C. Fabricius
in his 1776/1777 Genera insectorum but obverlooked by subsequent authors, leading to many sources listing its origin as Fabricius' 1790s work Entomologia systematica.
. Yet a few species
of Phycitinae, such as Oncocera semirubella
, are unusually bright-colored by moth standards, while those of genus Myelois
resemble members of unrelated "micromoth" family Yponomeutidae and like these are called "ermine
moths" due to their bright white forewings with tiny black spots.
Despite their diversity, the group is considered by and large monophyletic as traditionally circumscribed. Due to the sheer number of taxa contained here, this has not been thoroughly tested, and some little-known genera traditionally included in the Phycitinae may of course simply be convergent
and do not really belong here. Altogether however, the mesothorax
of the caterpillar
s – with the sclerotise
d ring around the base of seta SD1 – as well as the identical frenula of male and female adults' wings – a single bristle composed of several acanthae – are held to be characteristic autapomorphies by which the Phycitinae can be recognized. Furthermore, in the female genitalia of this subfamily the ductus seminalis originates in the corpus bursae. A useful character in the field is that the forewings of many adult Phycitinae lack one or more veins, usually the seventh one.
Phycitinae caterpillar
s are mostly leaf rollers, but some are inquiline
s in plant galls or seed
feeders, and a wide range of habitat
s are utilized. This subfamily even features some aquatic
and predatory caterpillars. The latter, e.g. Laetilia, can be beneficial in agriculture
, as they eat small Hemiptera
such as Sternorrhyncha
. Others have been used in biological pest control
against invasive plants, for example the stem-boring caterpillars of Arcola malloi
which destroy Alligator Weed
(Alternanthera philoxeroides), an originally South American plant that has spread around the Pacific Rim
to the detriment of local ecosystem
s.
Yet again others – namely the "carob moth
s" and "flour moth
s" of genera Cadra
, Ephestia
and Plodia, as well as some species of Ectomyelois and Etiella – are themselves pest of economic significance; the aforementioned genera's caterpillars infest dry vegetable foods (such as grain
and nut
s), while others (e.g. Dioryctria
) are pests of living plants. Ecological relationships and interaction with humans is not always clear-cut in this large group: The famous South American Cactus Moth (Cactoblastis cactorum) from the Paraná Basin
is quite beneficial by keeping down invasive prickly pears (Opuntia) wherever neither it nor these cacti
are native, such as in Australia
. It is a polyphagous species however, and having been introduced to comparable climate
s in Northern Hemisphere
America, it is wreaking havoc in Mexican
and the southern United States
' Opuntia farms. Similarly, in A. philoxeroides control care must be taken not to harm native species of the widespread genus Alternanthera
, many of which are highly valued aquarium
plants; A. malloi is also not fully monophagous and will for example eat Sessile Joyweed (A. sessilis), which though a nuisance weed where introduced is not known to be strongly invasive.
of the Phycitinae by no means fully resolved, though there is progress towards this goal. As noted above, some genera
placed in this subfamily might actually belong elsewhere; particularly some of those that cannot be assigned firmly to one of the main Phycitinae subdivisions (incertae sedis
) are interesting in this regard. Delimitation versus the Epipaschiinae
– generally considered the closest living relatives of the present subfamily – may thus warrant more attention, but altogether, considering the sheer size of this group, Phycitinae have not been particularly challenging as regards their taxonomy
and systematics
.
New genera of Phycitinae are still being established and others are revalidated in our time. Some genera widely recognized are presently monotypic
, but might include further undiscovered species
. Some, on the other hand, might not be valid. Despite the review of genera progreessing, the large number of Phycitinae taxa means that a lot of genera have not been reviewed since the 1956 landmark studies by USDA entomologist Carl Heinrich
and Hans Georg Amsel of the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, if not since longer.
A large part of the subfamily is divided among four tribe
s of various size. Some notable genera and species are also listed:
and species whose affiliation as to tribe is presently unclear are:
Delcina was originally included in the Phycitinae, as it somewhat resembles Monoptilota
; it seems impossibly to assign with certainty to any one of the major lineages of snout moths however.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Pyralidae). Even though the Pyralidae subfamilies are all quite diverse, Phycitinae stand out even by standards of their family: with over 600 genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
considered valid and more than 4000 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
placed here at present, they unite up more than three-quarters of living snout moth diversity. Together with the closely related Epipaschiinae
Epipaschiinae
The Epipaschiinae are a subfamily of snout moths . Almost 600 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...
, they are apparently the most advanced lineage of snout moths.
Phycitinae occur all over Earth's land masses, except in completely inhospitable areas; the majority of species has a tropical distribution however. Phycitinae have even been found on very remote oceanic islands, and a few species have been intentionally or unintentionally distributed by humans beyond their native range.
The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of this subfamily is Phycita roborella
Phycita roborella
Phycita roborella is a moth of the family Pyralidae. It is – under its junior synonym Tinea spissicella – the type species of its genus Phycita, and by extension of the subfamily Phycitinae....
, under its junior synonym Tinea spissicella. That name was apparently first proposed by J.C. Fabricius
Johan Christian Fabricius
Johan Christian Fabricius was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others...
in his 1776/1777 Genera insectorum but obverlooked by subsequent authors, leading to many sources listing its origin as Fabricius' 1790s work Entomologia systematica.
Description
In general, Phycitinae are smallish and slender-bodied moths, resembling fungus moths (family Tineidae) in appearance, though they have the well-developed proboscis typical of snouth moths and in many cases also the tell-tale "snout" consisting of elongated and straight labial palps. They are usually inconspicuous; while the forewings of some are quite prominently patterned, even these have usually rather nondescript greyish-brown colors and in the natural environment the pattern is crypticCrypsis
In ecology, crypsis is the ability of an organism to avoid observation or detection by other organisms. It may be either a predation strategy or an antipredator adaptation, and methods include camouflage, nocturnality, subterranean lifestyle, transparency, and mimicry...
. Yet a few species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of Phycitinae, such as Oncocera semirubella
Oncocera semirubella
Oncocera semirubella is a moth of the family Pyralidae. It is found in the Europe.thumb|left|200pxThe wingspan is 26–30 mm. The moth flies in one generation from the end of June to August ....
, are unusually bright-colored by moth standards, while those of genus Myelois
Myelois
Myelois is a genus of small moths belonging to the family Pyralidae. They are found in western Eurasia and adjacent regions such as the Maghreb.Species of Myelois include:* Myelois circumvoluta – Thistle Ermine...
resemble members of unrelated "micromoth" family Yponomeutidae and like these are called "ermine
Ermine (heraldry)
Ermine is a heraldic fur representing the winter coat of the stoat . Many skins would be sewn together to make a luxurious garment, producing a pattern of small black spots on a white field...
moths" due to their bright white forewings with tiny black spots.
Despite their diversity, the group is considered by and large monophyletic as traditionally circumscribed. Due to the sheer number of taxa contained here, this has not been thoroughly tested, and some little-known genera traditionally included in the Phycitinae may of course simply be convergent
Convergent evolution
Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, both birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are...
and do not really belong here. Altogether however, the mesothorax
Mesothorax
The mesothorax is the middle of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the second pair of legs. Its principal sclerites are the mesonotum , the mesosternum , and the mesopleuron on each side...
of the caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s – with the sclerotise
Sclerosis
Sclerosis or sclerotization is a hardening of tissue and other anatomical features; it may refer to:* in medicine, Sclerosis...
d ring around the base of seta SD1 – as well as the identical frenula of male and female adults' wings – a single bristle composed of several acanthae – are held to be characteristic autapomorphies by which the Phycitinae can be recognized. Furthermore, in the female genitalia of this subfamily the ductus seminalis originates in the corpus bursae. A useful character in the field is that the forewings of many adult Phycitinae lack one or more veins, usually the seventh one.
Ecology
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s are mostly leaf rollers, but some are inquiline
Inquiline
In zoology, an inquiline is an animal that lives commensally in the nest, burrow, or dwelling place of an animal of another species. For example, some organisms such as insects may live in the homes of gophers and feed on debris, fungi, roots, etc...
s in plant galls or seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
feeders, and a wide range of habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are utilized. This subfamily even features some aquatic
Aquatic
Aquatic means relating to water; living in or near water or taking place in waterAquatic may also refer to:* Aquatic animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life...
and predatory caterpillars. The latter, e.g. Laetilia, can be beneficial in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, as they eat small Hemiptera
Hemiptera
Hemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs , comprising around 50,000–80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others...
such as Sternorrhyncha
Sternorrhyncha
Sternorrhyncha is a suborder of the Hemiptera which contains the aphids, whiteflies, and scale insects, groups which were traditionally included in the order Homoptera. "Sternorrhyncha" refers to the rearward position of the mouthparts relative to the head...
. Others have been used in biological pest control
Biological pest control
Biological control of pests in agriculture is a method of controlling pests that relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms...
against invasive plants, for example the stem-boring caterpillars of Arcola malloi
Arcola malloi
Arcola malloi is a species of snout moth known as the alligator weed stem borer. It is used as an agent of biological pest control against the noxious aquatic plant known as alligator weed .This moth is native to South America. It was introduced to the United States in the 1970s to attack the...
which destroy Alligator Weed
Alligator weed
Alternanthera philoxeroides, commonly known as Alligator weed, is an immersed aquatic plant. It originated in South America, but has spread to many parts of the world and is considered an invasive species in Australia, China, New Zealand, Thailand and the United States.Alligator weed can grow in a...
(Alternanthera philoxeroides), an originally South American plant that has spread around the Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim
The Pacific Rim refers to places around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The term "Pacific Basin" includes the Pacific Rim and islands in the Pacific Ocean...
to the detriment of local ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s.
Yet again others – namely the "carob moth
Carob moth
Carob moths are certain species of small snout moths . They are named for their caterpillars' habit of becoming a pest on stored fruits of Carob .The term can refer to:* Ectomyelois ceratoniae...
s" and "flour moth
Flour moth
The term flour moth refers to certain small moths of the family Pyralidae , whose caterpillars are a pest of flour:* Ephestia kuehniella * Plodia interpunctella...
s" of genera Cadra
Cadra
Cadra is a is a genus of small moths belonging to the family Pyralidae. The genus Ephestia is closely related to Cadra and might be its senior synonym. Several of these moths are variously assigned to one or the other genus, in particular in non-entomological sources...
, Ephestia
Ephestia
Ephestia is a is a genus of small moths belonging to the family Pyralidae. Some species are significant pests of dry plant produce, such as seeds and cereals. Best known among these are probably the Cacao Moth and the Mediterranean Flour Moth .The genus Cadra is closely related to Ephestia and...
and Plodia, as well as some species of Ectomyelois and Etiella – are themselves pest of economic significance; the aforementioned genera's caterpillars infest dry vegetable foods (such as grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
and nut
Nut
Nut may refer to:* En dash or nut, traditionally half the width of an em dash* Nut , a piece of metal wedged into a rock* Nut , the large, usually oily seed of some plants...
s), while others (e.g. Dioryctria
Dioryctria
Dioryctria is a genus of snout moths. It was described by Zeller, in 1846.-Species:* Dioryctria abietella * Dioryctria abietivorella * Dioryctria actualis...
) are pests of living plants. Ecological relationships and interaction with humans is not always clear-cut in this large group: The famous South American Cactus Moth (Cactoblastis cactorum) from the Paraná Basin
Parana Basin
The Paraná Basin is a large sedimentary basin situated in the central-eastern part of South America. About 75% of its areal distribution occurs in Brazil, from Mato Grosso to Rio Grande do Sul states. The remainder area is distributed in eastern Paraguay, northeastern Argentina and northern...
is quite beneficial by keeping down invasive prickly pears (Opuntia) wherever neither it nor these cacti
Cacti
-See also:* RRDtool The underlying software upon which Cacti is built* MRTG The original Multi Router Traffic Grapher from which RRDtool was "extracted".* Munin -External links:******...
are native, such as in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is a polyphagous species however, and having been introduced to comparable climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
s in Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
America, it is wreaking havoc in Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' Opuntia farms. Similarly, in A. philoxeroides control care must be taken not to harm native species of the widespread genus Alternanthera
Alternanthera
Alternanthera is a genus of approximately 80 herbaceous plant species in Amaranthaceae, the amaranth family. It is a widespread genus with a cosmopolitan distribution....
, many of which are highly valued aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
plants; A. malloi is also not fully monophagous and will for example eat Sessile Joyweed (A. sessilis), which though a nuisance weed where introduced is not known to be strongly invasive.
Systematics
Due to the large diversity, the phylogeny and systematicsSystematics
Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of terrestrial life, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees...
of the Phycitinae by no means fully resolved, though there is progress towards this goal. As noted above, some genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
placed in this subfamily might actually belong elsewhere; particularly some of those that cannot be assigned firmly to one of the main Phycitinae subdivisions (incertae sedis
Incertae sedis
, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
) are interesting in this regard. Delimitation versus the Epipaschiinae
Epipaschiinae
The Epipaschiinae are a subfamily of snout moths . Almost 600 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...
– generally considered the closest living relatives of the present subfamily – may thus warrant more attention, but altogether, considering the sheer size of this group, Phycitinae have not been particularly challenging as regards their taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
and systematics
Systematics
Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of terrestrial life, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees...
.
New genera of Phycitinae are still being established and others are revalidated in our time. Some genera widely recognized are presently monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
, but might include further undiscovered species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. Some, on the other hand, might not be valid. Despite the review of genera progreessing, the large number of Phycitinae taxa means that a lot of genera have not been reviewed since the 1956 landmark studies by USDA entomologist Carl Heinrich
Carl Heinrich
Carl Heinrich was an American entomologist.- Life :He studied Greek and drama at the University of Chicago, he moved to Washington D.C., in 1902, where he worked in business. In 1908, he went to New York to study music. Heinrich moved back to Washington and in 1913 joined the United States...
and Hans Georg Amsel of the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, if not since longer.
Tribes
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
s of various size. Some notable genera and species are also listed:
Genera incertae sedis
Some Phycitinae generaGenera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
and species whose affiliation as to tribe is presently unclear are:
Delcina was originally included in the Phycitinae, as it somewhat resembles Monoptilota
Monoptilota
Monoptilota is a genus of snout moths. It was described by Hulst in 1900. It contains only one species, the Lima-bean Vine Borer Moth , which is found in the central and south-eastern parts of the United States....
; it seems impossibly to assign with certainty to any one of the major lineages of snout moths however.