Subfamily PHYCITINAE

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• Anerastiinae.
• Peoriinae.
• Hypsotropinae.

Introduction

[Modified after Shaffer et al. 1996: 165]
Phycitinae are represented in Australia by 210 described species, but with many awaiting description. Many species were described from the last century, though not all initially from the Australian fauna. The earliest named endemic species is Etiella behrii (Zeller, 1848). Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg, 1885) and C. doddi Heinrich, 1939 were deliberately introduced for the biological control of Opuntia (Prickly Pear) (A.P. Dodd 1940).

Studies towards a generic revision of the subfamily by M. Horak resulted in a reorganisation of the first half of the subfamily, up to Protoetiella in the Checklist, based on genitalic structures. The classification of the remaining taxa is very tentative.

The subfamliy has been divided into tribes, including the Peoriini and the Anerastiini, characterised by a vestigal proboscis. The Anerastiinae, also known as the Hypsotropinae, were long treated as a separate subfamily, and have been found to be a composite taxon. J.C. Shaffer (1968) revised the Neacrtic fauna, transferred Anerastia Hübner, 1825 to the Phycitinae, and redefined the bulk of the group as the Peoriinae which are here treated as a tribe. Recent literature reflects the uncertainty about the status of the Peoriini (Common 1990; Solis and Miller 1992; Scoble 1992). Until the Old World 'anerastiinae' genera have been revised we do not know which are true Peoriini and which are related to Anerastiini. Assignment to either of those groups of the Australian fauna can therefore be no more than tentative.

The genus Etiella Zeller was revised by Whalley (1973) and the Australian species of Cadra Walker by Horak (1994).

Etiella behrii (Zeller) is a pest of legume seeds (Austin et al. 1993). Hypsipyla robusta (Moore) bores in the shoots of Toona australis (red cedar) while Ecnomoneura sphaerotropha Turner feeds within galls of the apiomorph coccoid, Cystococcus pomiformis, on Eucalyptus terminalis (Turner 1942). Creobata grossipunctella (Ragonot) is a predator of Eriococcus scale insects. Patagoniodes farinaria (Turner) burrows in stems and crowns of Senecio (Ireson & McQuillan 1984).

Similar in general appearance to Crambinae and Scopariinae the Phycitinae can be distinguished by the small, often hidden maxillary palpi, which are very pronounced in the other two subfamilies, and, except for the Peoriini, by the usually upturned labial palpi.

The subfamily, described by Zeller in 1839, is of world wide distribution and represented by about 5000 described species, but given the numbers of known undescribed species, is much larger.

General References

Austin, A.D., White, T.C.R., Maelzer, D.A. & Taylor, D.G. 1993. Biology of Etiella behrii Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae): a pest of seed lucerne in South Australia. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 117: 67-76

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

Horak, M. 1994. A review of Cadra Walker in Australia: five new native species and the two introduced pest species (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae: Phycitinae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 33: 245-262

Shaffer, J.C. 1968. A revision of the Peoriinae and Anerastiinae (auctorum) of America North of Mexico. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 280: i-vi, 1-124

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. 1973. The genus Etiella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae): a zoogeographic and taxonomic study. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 28: 1-21

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