The Epipaschiinae are a subfamily of snout moths (family Pyralidae). 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. A few Epipaschiinae are crop pests that may occasionally become economically significant.
Description and ecology
Adult females are often hard to dstinguish 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 sclerotised 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 leafminers. 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.
Solis provided a phylogenetic analysis of 20 genera of the Pococera complex (consisting of some 300 species in the Western Hemisphere) in 1993, representing the first cladistic analysis of a pyraloid group.
Accinctapubes Solis, 1993Agastophanes Turner, 1937Anaeglis Lederer, 1863Anarnatula Dyar, 1918Anexophana Viette, 1960Apocera Schaus, 1912 (= Paranatula Dyar, 1913)Araeopaschia Hampson, 1906 (= Aroeopaschia Amsel, 1956)Astrapometis Meyrick, 1884Austropaschia Hampson, 1916Axiocrita Turner, 1913Bibasilaris Solis, 1993Cacozelia Grote, 1878Calybitia Schaus, 1922Canipsa Walker, 1866 (= Sarama Moore, 1888, Scopocera Moore, 1888)Carthara Walker, 1865 (= Leptosphetta Butler, 1878, Pycnulia Zeller, 1881)Catalaodes Viette, 1953Catamola Meyrick, 1884 (= Elaphernis Meyrick, 1936)Cecidipta Berg, 1877 (= Acecidipta Amsel, 1956)Chloropaschia Hampson, 1906Coenodomus Walsingham, 1888 (= Alippa Aurivillius, 1894, Dyaria Neumoegen, 1893)Dasyvesica Solis, 1991Deuterollyta Lederer, 1863 (= Ajacania Schaus, 1925, Ajocara Schaus, 1925, Oedomia Dognin, 1906, Winona Hulst, 1888)Doddiana Turner, 1902Elisabethinia Ghesquière, 1942Ephedrophila Dumont, 1928Epilepia Janse, 1931Epipaschia Clemens, 1860Eublemmodes Gaede, 1917Geropaschia Hampson, 1917 (= Araeopaschia Hampson, 1916)Glossopaschia Dyar, 1914Heminomistis Meyrick, 1933Homura Lederer, 1863Incarcha Dyar, 1910Isolopha Hampson, 1895 (= Islopha Janse, 1931)Jocara Walker, 1863Lacalma Janse, 1931Lameerea Ghesquière, 1942Lamida Walker, 1859 (= Allata Walker, 1863)Lepidogma Meyrick, 1890 (= Asopina Christoph, 1893, Precopia Ragonot, 1891)Lepipaschia J. C. Shaffer & Solis, 1994Leptoses Ghesquière, 1942Lista 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, 1993Mediavia Solis, 1993Micropaschia Hampson, 1906Milgithea Schaus, 1922 (= Miligithea Neave, 1940)Mimaglossa Warren, 1891Neopaschia Janse, 1922Noctuides Staudinger, 1892 (= Anartula Staudinger, 1893, Arnatula Hampson, 1896, Parorthaga Hampson, 1896)Nouanda Holland & Schaus, 1925Nyctereutica Turner, 1904 (= Diastrophica Turner, 1937)Obutobea Ghesquière, 1942Odontopaschia Hampson, 1903Omphalepia Hampson, 1906Omphalota Hampson, 1899Oneida Hulst, 1889Orthaga Walker, 1859 (= Edeta Walker, 1859, Hyperbalanotis Warren, 1891, Pannucha Moore, 1888, Proboscidophora Warren, 1891)Oxyalcia Dognin, 1905Pandoflabella Solis, 1993Parastericta Janse, 1931Peplochora Meyrick, 1933Phidotricha Ragonot, 1889 (= Eutrichocera Hampson, 1904, Jocarula Dyar, 1925)Plumiphora Janse, 1931Plutopaschia Hampson, 1917Pococera 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, 1916Polylophota Hampson, 1906Pseudocera Walker, 1863Quadraforma Solis, 1993Rhynchopaschia Hampson, 1906Roeseliodes Warren, 1891Salma 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, 1942Sparactica Meyrick, 1938Spectrotrota Warren, 1891Speiroceras Chrétien, 1911Stericta Lederer, 1863 (= Glossina Guenée, 1854, Matalia Walker, 1866, Oncobela Turner, 1937, Phialia Walker, 1866)Sultania Koçak, 1987Taiwanastrapometis Shibuya, 1928Tallula Hulst, 1888Tancoa Schaus, 1922Teliphasa Moore, 1888 (= Sultania Koçak, 1987)Termioptycha Meyrick, 1889 (= Sialocyttara Turner, 1913)Tineopaschia Hampson, 1916Titanoceros Meyrick, 1884Toripalpus Grote, 1878Trichotophysa Warren, 1896Yuma Hulst, 1889