Subfamily GALLERIINAE

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• Macrothecinae.

Introduction

[Modified after Shaffer et al. (1996: 164)]
Gallerinae are represented in Australia by 56 species, with Meyriccia latro (Zeller, 1873) being the earliest described endemic species. Other species described by Linnaeus in 1758 have been introduced. Most species from Australia were described this century, most recently by Turner in 1942 and the group has been catalogued by Whalley (1964b). The subfamily dates from Zeller (1848) and worldwide the subfamily is known from about 400 described species. Most genera need revision and many Australian species await description.

Apart from the cosmopolitan pests of beehives, Galleria mellonella and Achroia grisella, the pest of stored food products Corcyra cephalonica has also been introduced. Common (1990) records Heteromicta tripartitella on dead leaves of Eucalyptus tesselaris; Tirathaba rufivena reared from flowers of Nipa fruticans and on Cocos nucifera from outside Australia; T. parasiticus associated with wood-boring xyloryctid and hepialid larvae, possibly feeding on dead larvae; Meyriccia latro on flower spikes on grass trees, Xanthorrhoea; Mampava rhodoneura on seeds of Cenchrus (buffel grass); Callionyma sarcodes found beneath loose bark of Eucalyptus.

Galleriinae often show strong sexual dimorphism in size and wing-shape, and in wing-markings.

General References

Common, I.F.B. 1990. Moths of Australia. Carlton : Melbourne University Press vi+535 pp., 32 pls.

Shaffer, M., Nielsen, E.S. & Horak, M. 1996. Pyraloidea. pp. 164-199 in Nielsen, E.S., Edwards, E.D. & Rangsi, T.V. (eds). Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera. Collingwood : CSIRO Publishing Vol. 4 xiv 529 pp. & CD-ROM.

Whalley, P.E.S. 1964. Catalogue of the Galleriinae (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) with descriptions of new genera and species. Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia 9: 561-618, pls 14-44

Zeller, P.C. 1848. Die Gallerien und nackthornigen Phyciden. Isis, Leipzig 10: 721-754

Zeller, P.C. 1848. Die Gallerien und nackthornigen Phyciden. Isis, Leipzig 9: 641-691

Zeller, P.C. 1848. Die Gallerien und nackthornigen Phyciden. Isis, Leipzig 8: 569-618

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