The Pyralidae are members of the Superfamily Pyraloidea. A diverse group, there are more than 6,000 species described worldwide, and more than 600 species in America north of Mexico, comprising the third largest moth family in North America. These are small to medium and occasionally large moths (wingspan 0.9-3.7 cm) with variable morphological features. Adults hold their wings out to the side, fold them flat, or roll them up, making their bodies look like sticks. Larvae are primarily concealed feeders, most often borers in seeds, fruit, or stems, or in tunnels in the soil beneath plants. Others construct nestlike shelters among tied leaves, sometimes of tough silk. Diverse living plants are consumed, as well as dry vegetable matter including seeds, <i>Hymenoptera</i> nests, and wax in bee hives. Many are household and granary pests that have been transported worldwide by human activities.
