Subfamily SCHOENOBIINAE

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Introduction

[Modified after Shaffer et al. (1996: 167)]
Schoenobiinae are represented in Australia by 19 species and 6 genera. The earliest Australian species were described by Walker (1863) and the Australian Schoenobiinae were revised by Common (1960). Some of the species are endemic to Australia, but some Scirpophaga also occur elsewhere. The generic revision of Scirpophaga by Lewvanich (1981) updated the taxonomy. The subfamily is world wide in distribution and contains about 300 described species, but large numbers of undescribed species are known. The group was established by Duponchel ([1845]) as Schoenobidae. Hampson's (1895) classification was the major reference work until Munroe (1958) redefined the subfamily and greatly reduced the number of included genera. The Schoenobiinae were further restricted by Lewvanich (1981).

All schoenobiine larvae are believed to feed on monocots. Scirpophaga species are notorious as stem-borers of rice. Common (1990) lists the following hostplant records: Scirpophaga imparellus on sedges Cladium articulatum ; and Eleocharis sphacelata; S. innotata on cultivaed rice, Oryza spp.; Typanaea patulella on Juncus. More extensive hostplant records are provided by Lewvanich (1981).

The group can be easily recognised by the lack of a proboscis and the extremely short antennae in both sexes. The schoenobiinae are mostly white in colour, sometimes glossy, and usually with very few wing markings. Many species have a dense tuft of specialized scales at the tip of the female abdomen, used to cover the egg masses.

General References

Common, I.F.B. 1960. A revision of the Australian stem borers hitherto referred to Schoenobius and Scirpophaga (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae, Schoenobiinae). Australian Journal of Zoology 8: 307-347

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

Duponchel, P.A.J. 1844-1846. Catalogue méthodique des Lépidoptères d'Europe distribués en familles, tribus et genres avec l'exposé des caractères sur lesquels ces divisions sont fondées, et l'indication des lieux et des époques où l'on trouve chaque espèce, pour servir de complement et de rectification a l'histoire naturelle des Lépidoptères de france. Paris [1845] 1844. : Méquignon-Marvis Fils xxx+523 pp., pls 75-90.

Hampson, G.F. 1895. Moths III. In, Blandford, W.T. (ed.). The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. London : Taylor and Francis xxviii+546 pp.

Lewvanich, A. 1981. A revision of the Old World species of Scirpophaga (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 42(4): 185-298

Munroe, E. 1958. Hampson's Schoenobiinae (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). International Congress of Entomology 10(1): 301-302

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.

Walker, F. 1863. Tortricites & Tineites. List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum 28: 287-561

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