The Sesiidae or clearwing moths are a diurnal moth family in the order Lepidoptera known for their Batesian mimicry in both appearance and behaviour of various Hymenoptera.
Sesioidea is the superfamily currently containing clearwing moths (Sesiidae), castniid moths (Castniidae) and little bear moths (Brachodidae). There is evidence from head and thoracic morphology that the first two families, internally feeding in plants as caterpillars, are sisters, whilst some brachodids are known to feed on leaf surfaces. Sesioidea are considered to be the sister group of Cossoidea which contain the also internal-feeding Goat and Leopard moths.
The hornet moth or hornet clearwing is a large moth native to Europe and the Middle East and has been introduced to North America. Its protective coloration is an example of Batesian mimicry, as its similarity to a hornet makes it unappealing to predators. The hornet moth has been linked to the large dieback of poplar trees across Europe because its larvae bore into the trunk of the tree before re-emerging as adults.
Pennisetia hylaeiformis, the raspberry clearwing, is a moth of the family Sesiidae.
Synanthedon myopaeformis is a moth of the family Sesiidae and the order Lepidoptera. In Europe it is known as the red-belted clearwing and in North America as the apple clearwing moth. The larvae create galleries under the bark of fruit trees, especially old trees with damaged trunks. During this process, the larvae cause significant damage to host trees. Particular attention has been paid to the damage they cause to apple trees. Their status as a pest of apple orchards has led to many research projects aimed at controlling populations of the moth. This moth is native to Europe, the Near East and North Africa. Recently, the moth was introduced into North America, being first detected in Canada in 2005. There are several organisms that threaten the larvae, including parasitoids, nematodes, and bacteria.
Grapevine moth or Grape moth may refer to:
Bembecia ichneumoniformis, the six-belted clearwing, is a moth of the family Sesiidae.
Synanthedon bibionipennis, the strawberry crown moth, is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is found in western North America from Montana south to Texas westward to the Pacific coast and from British Columbia to California. It is an introduced species in Hawaii.
Vitacea is a genus of moths in the family Sesiidae.
Albuna fraxini, the Virginia creeper clearwing, is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is known from the northern United States and southern Canada.
Synanthedon rileyana, the horsenettle borer or Riley's clearwing moth, is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is found in the United States, including Arkansas, Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Chamaesphecia crassicornis is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is found in south-eastern Austria, southern Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, southern Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It is rare in central Europe. It has been released in North America for the biological control of leafy spurge.
Chamaesphecia hungarica, the Hungarian clearwing moth, is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is native to the south-eastern Czech Republic and Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Serbia and Croatia. It was originally approved for introduction into the United States in 1993. It has been released at several leafy spurge-infested sites in Montana and North Dakota.
Chamaesphecia nigrifrons is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is found in central and south-eastern France, Corsica, Luxembourg, South Belgium, south-western Germany, Austria, south-eastern Czech Republic, eastern Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, former Yugoslavia, Serbia, southern Republic of Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, northern Romania, northern Greece, southern Ukraine, Transcaucasia, north-western and southern Turkey and north-western Syria.
Paranthrene insolita is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is found in large parts of Europe, Turkey, Iraq, the Levant and the Palestinian Territories.
Pyropteron affine is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is found in most of Europe, except Ireland, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Fennoscandia, the Baltic region, Poland and Bulgaria. It is also found in Asia Minor, Georgia, the Middle East and North Africa.
Pyropteron leucomelaena is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is found in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Balkan Peninsula and Ukraine. It is also found in North Africa and from Asia Minor to Armenia.
Synanthedon conopiformis, Dale's oak clearwing, is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is found in almost all of Europe, except the north.
Synanthedon spuleri is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is found from France to Turkey and Georgia. In the south, it is found in southern and eastern Europe. In the north, the range extends to the line Paris-southern Germany.
