Moths of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands represent about 10 known moth species. The moths (mostly nocturnal) and butterflies (mostly diurnal) together make up the taxonomic order Lepidoptera.
This is a list of moth species which have been recorded from the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
The French Southern and Antarctic Lands is an Overseas Territory of France. It consists of:
Adélie Land is a claimed territory on the continent of Antarctica. It stretches from a portion of the Southern Ocean coastline all the way inland to the South Pole. France has administered it as one of five districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands since 1955 and applied the Antarctic Treaty System rules since 1961. Article 4 deals with territorial claims, and although it does not renounce or diminish any preexisting claims to sovereignty, it also does not prejudice the position of Contracting Parties in their recognition or non-recognition of territorial sovereignty. France has had a permanent station in Adélie Land since April 9, 1950. The current Dumont d'Urville Station has a winter population around 25, but this goes up to about 78 during the Antarctic summer. A species of penguin, the Adélie penguin, is named after it.
The Crozet Islands are a sub-Antarctic archipelago of small islands in the southern Indian Ocean. They form one of the five administrative districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean consist of four small coral islands, an atoll, and a reef in the Indian Ocean, and have constituted the 5th district of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF), though sovereignty over some or all of the Islands is contested by Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Comoros. None of the islands has ever had a permanent population.
The Hepialidae are a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths.
Phassodes is a moth genus of the family Hepialidae. As of 2018, it is monospecific, consisting of the sole species Phassodes vitiensis; this species is very variable. It is found in Fiji and Samoa. The life cycle is unknown but the larva is presumed to feed underground on the roots of plants or decaying matter.
Psychodidae, called drain flies, sink flies, filter flies, sewer flies, or sewer gnats, is a family of true flies. Some genera have short, hairy bodies and wings giving them a "furry" moth-like appearance, hence one of their common names, moth flies. Members of the sub-family Phlebotominae which are hematophagous may be called sand flies in some countries, although this term is also used for other unrelated flies.
The Pyralinae are the typical subfamily of snout moths and occur essentially worldwide, in some cases aided by involuntary introduction by humans. They are rather rare in the Americas however, and their diversity in the Australian region is also limited. Altogether, this subfamily includes about 900 described species, but new ones continue to be discovered. Like many of their relatives in the superfamily Pyraloidea, the caterpillar larvae of many Pyralinae – and in some cases even the adults – have evolved the ability to use unusual foods for nutrition; a few of these can become harmful to humans as pests of stored goods.
Hadenini is a tribe of cutworm or dart moths in the family Noctuidae. There are more than 140 genera and 1,000 described species in Hadenini, found worldwide.
Hypena is a genus of moths in the family Erebidae. It was first described by Franz von Paula Schrank in 1802. These non-migratory moths overwinter as pupae and almost never estivate as adults.
Syncopacma is a genus of moths in the family Gelechiidae.
The dustywings, Coniopterygidae, are a family of Pterygota of the net-winged insect order (Neuroptera). About 460 living species are known. These tiny insects can usually be determined to genus with a hand lens according to their wing venation, but to distinguish species, examination of the genitals by microscope is usually necessary.
Eutelia is a genus of moths of the family Euteliidae erected by Jacob Hübner in 1823.
Taraconica is a genus of moths of the family Erebidae. The genus was erected by Emilio Berio in 1959.
Epigynopteryx is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae. The genus was described by Warren in 1895.
Pringleophaga marioni is a moth of the family Tineidae. It is endemic to Marion Island. Beside being unable to fly, this moth species is notable because of its ability to resist temperatures that are so low, that they would kill most other species.
Hervé de Toulgoët was a French entomologist. He specialised in moths of the families Arctiidae and Zygaenidae. He also studied the beetle genus Carabus. He was written about by Paul Thiaucourt and Jocelyne Navatte.
Odites is a genus of moths in the family Depressariidae. Most species of this genus are found in Asia and in Africa.