Aglossa
Encyclopedia
Aglossa is a genus
of small moths
belonging to the family
Pyralidae
. They are found mainly in western Eurasia
, though some species have been introduced elsewhere.
This genus is remarkable for the caterpillar
s, which in some species
are able to feed on a wide range of materials that are not usually eaten by Lepidoptera
larva
e, such as dead insect
s, manure
and straw
. The caterpillars of other Aglossa (e.g. A. signicostalis
) are myrmecophilous.
Adults of the Grease Moth (A. cuprina) sometimes eat fat
s such as suet
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of small moths
Moths
Moths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...
belonging to the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Pyralidae
Pyralidae
The Pyralidae or snout moths are a family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian superfamily Pyraloidea. In many classifications, the grass moths are included in the Pyralidae as a subfamily, making the combined group one of the largest families in the Lepidoptera...
. They are found mainly in western Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
, though some species have been introduced elsewhere.
This genus is remarkable for the caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s, which in some species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
are able to feed on a wide range of materials that are not usually eaten by Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e, such as dead insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, manure
Manure
Manure is organic matter used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Manures contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen, that are trapped by bacteria in the soil...
and straw
Straw
Straw is an agricultural by-product, the dry stalks of cereal plants, after the grain and chaff have been removed. Straw makes up about half of the yield of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat. It has many uses, including fuel, livestock bedding and fodder, thatching and...
. The caterpillars of other Aglossa (e.g. A. signicostalis
Aglossa signicostalis
Aglossa signicostalis is a species of snout moths in the genus Aglossa. It was described by Staudinger, in 1871, and is known from Israel, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia and Greece....
) are myrmecophilous.
Adults of the Grease Moth (A. cuprina) sometimes eat fat
Fat
Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and generally insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are triglycerides, triesters of glycerol and any of several fatty acids. Fats may be either solid or liquid at room temperature, depending on their structure...
s such as suet
Suet
Suet is raw beef or mutton fat, especially the hard fat found around the loins and kidneys.Suet has a melting point of between 45° and 50°C and congelation between 37° and 40°C....
.
Selected species
- Aglossa acallalis Dyar, 1908
- Aglossa baba Dyar, 1914
- Aglossa brabantiAglossa brabantiAglossa brabanti is a species of snout moths in the genus Aglossa. It was described by Ragonot in 1884, and is known from France and the Iberian Peninsula.The wingspan is about 20 mm....
Ragonot, 1884 - Aglossa cacamica (Dyar, 1913)
- Aglossa caprealisAglossa caprealisAglossa caprealis is a moth species of the family Pyralidae. It is found globally, though its native range is presumably western Eurasia or nearby regions, as in other Aglossa species....
- Aglossa costiferalis (Walker, 1886)
- Aglossa cuprinaAglossa cuprinaThe unusual scavenger species Aglossa cuprina, formerly named Aglossa pinguinalis, is most commonly known as the Grease Moth. It belongs to lepidopteran family, Pyralidae . The grease moth is closely related to the genus Pyralis, and as a result, is usually associated with the meal moth, Pyralis...
(Zeller, 1872) - Aglossa dimidiatusAglossa dimidiatusAglossa dimidiatus is a species of snout moths in the genus Aglossa. It was described by Haworth, in 1809 from London, Great Britain, but this is probably an accidental introduction. It is found in Gibraltar....
(Haworth, 1809) - Aglossa disciferalis (Dyar, 1908)
- Aglossa electalis Hulst, 1866
- Aglossa fuliginosalis (Zerny, 1927)
- Aglossa furva Heinrich, 1931
- Aglossa gigantalis Barnes & Benjamin, 1925
- Aglossa oculalisAglossa oculalisAglossa oculalis is a species of snout moths in the genus Aglossa. It was described by Hampson, in 1906, and is known from the United States, including Texas....
Hampson, 1906 - Aglossa oranalis (Zerny, 1914)
- Aglossa phaealisAglossa phaealisAglossa phaealis is a species of snout moths in the genus Aglossa. It was described by Hampson, in 1906, and is known from Lesotho and Namibia....
- Aglossa cuprinaAglossa cuprinaThe unusual scavenger species Aglossa cuprina, formerly named Aglossa pinguinalis, is most commonly known as the Grease Moth. It belongs to lepidopteran family, Pyralidae . The grease moth is closely related to the genus Pyralis, and as a result, is usually associated with the meal moth, Pyralis...
– Grease Moth - Aglossa rhodalisAglossa rhodalisAglossa rhodalis is a species of snout moths in the genus Aglossa. It was described by Hampson, in 1906, and is known from South Africa, Algeria and Namibia....
Hampson, 1906 - Aglossa signicostalisAglossa signicostalisAglossa signicostalis is a species of snout moths in the genus Aglossa. It was described by Staudinger, in 1871, and is known from Israel, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia and Greece....
Staudinger, 1871 - Aglossa rubralisAglossa rubralisAglossa rubralis is a species of snout moths in the genus Aglossa. It was described by Hampson, in 1900, and is known from Syria and Libya....
Hampson, 1900 - Aglossa tenebrosalis Rothschild, 1915
- Aglossa tinealisAglossa tinealisAglossa tinealis is a species of snout moths in the genus Aglossa. It was described by Leraut, in 2007, and is known from Namibia....