The Pyralidae, commonly called pyralid moths, snout moths or grass moths, are a family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian superfamily Pyraloidea. In many classifications, the grass moths (Crambidae) are included in the Pyralidae as a subfamily, making the combined group one of the largest families in the Lepidoptera. The latest review by Eugene G. Munroe and Maria Alma Solis retain the Crambidae as a full family of Pyraloidea.
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.
The Pyralini are a tribe of snout moths described by Pierre André Latreille in 1809. They belong to the subfamily Pyralinae, which contains the "typical" snout moths of the Old World and some other regions. The genus list presented here is provisional.
Pyralis farinalis, the meal moth, is a cosmopolitan moth of the family Pyralidae. Its larvae (caterpillars) are pests of certain stored foods, namely milled plant products.
Hypsopygia costalis, the gold triangle or clover hay moth, is a species of moth of the family Pyralidae. It was described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775 and is found in Europe. The wingspan is 16–23 mm. The adult moths fly from May to July, depending on the location. The supposed species H. aurotaenialis is included here pending further study.
Tetracona is a genus of snout moths in the subfamily Spilomelinae of the family Crambidae. The genus was described by Edward Meyrick in 1884 with Aediodes amathealisWalker, 1859 as type species.
Pyralis pictalis, the painted meal moth or poplar pyralis, is a snout moth. It is closely related to the family's type species the meal moth and consequently belongs to the tribe Pyralini of the snout moth subfamily Pyralinae. Its native range is tropical Asia to East Asia and to Wallacea and adjacent regions, but it has been quite widely distributed by humans. The term "Poplar" in its common name does not refer to the trees, but to Poplar, London, where the type specimen – from such an introduction – was caught. It was called scarce meal moth in the original description, which is only correct for the fringes of its range however.
Pyralis manihotalis is a moth of the family Pyralidae described by Achille Guenée in 1854.
Amyelois is a monotypic snout moth genus described by Hans Georg Amsel in 1956. Its single species, Amyelois transitella, the navel orangeworm, described by Francis Walker in 1863, is endemic to the tropical Western Hemisphere, including the southern United States. Its abundance in California increased greatly during the first half of the 20th century.
Biston regalis is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in China, Taiwan, Russia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, India, Nepal, the Philippines, Pakistan and the United States.
Epacternis is a genus of snout moths. It was erected by Edward Meyrick in 1933.
Epacternis pyralis is a species of snout moth in the genus Epacternis. It was described by Patrice J.A. Leraut in 2011, and is known from Senegal.
Pyralis is a genus of snout moths. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
Pyralis perversalis is a species of snout moth. It is found from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania east into Asia, including Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia.
Hirayamaia is a monotypic snout moth genus described by Nobukatsu Marumo in 1917. Its only species, Hirayamaia regalis, was described by John Henry Leech in 1889. It is found in Korea, Japan and China.
Pyralis kacheticalis is a species of snout moth. It is found in Ukraine and on Cyprus, as well as in Turkey and Russia.
Pyralis lienigialis, the northern meal moth, is a species of snout moth. It is found in France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Great Britain, Fennoscandia, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Ukraine, Moldavia and Romania.
Pyralis transcaspica is a species of snout moth. It is found in Turkmenistan.
Macalla regalis is a species of snout moth in the genus Macalla. It was described by E. Dukinfield Jones in 1912. It is found in Brazil and Peru.
