Family Sesiidae (Sesiid Moths)

Description of Sesiidae

The Sesiid Moths are members of the Superfamily Sesioidea. Sesiids are small to moderately large (wingspan 1.4-4.6 cm), heavy bodied, diurnal or crepuscular, and almost all species resemble wasps or bees, presumably a nonspecific mimicry that aids vertebrate predator avoidance. This involves not only clear wings and a colorful, banded abdomen, but legs with modified tufts that in some cases have yellow-tipped scales to simulate pollen carried by bees. Larvae are stout, and feed on more than 40 families of flowering plants, with no strong preference for one. They bore in stems, bark, and roots, or in galls caused by other insects.

Subfamily:

Carmenta rubricincta (Beutenmuller, 1909)

Subfamily: Sesiinae (Sesiines)

Alcathoe autumnalis Fall Clematis Clearwing Borer (Engelhardt, 1946 )

Alcathoe carolinensis Engelhardt, 1925

Alcathoe caudata Clematis Clearwing Moth (Harris, 1839)

Carmenta albociliata (Engelhardt, 1925)

Carmenta anthracipennis Blazing Star Borer Moth (Boisduval, 1875)

Carmenta apache Engelhardt, 1946

Carmenta armasata (Druce, 1892)

Carmenta bassiformis Eupatorium Borer Moth (Walker, 1856)

Carmenta corni (Edwards, 1881)

Carmenta engelhardti Duckworth & Eichlin, 1973

Carmenta giliae (Edwards, 1881)

Carmenta ithacae (Beutenmuller, 1897)

Carmenta mimuli (H. Edwards, 1881)

Carmenta phoradendri Mistletoe Borer (Engelhardt, 1946)

Carmenta pyralidiformis The Boneset Borer (Walker, 1856)

Carmenta texana Texana Clearwing (Edwards, 1881)

Carmenta verecunda (Edwards, 1881)

Carmenta wellerae Duckworth & Eichlin, 1976

Euhagena nebraskae H. Edwards, 1881

Melittia calabaza Southwestern Squash Vine Borer (Duckworth & Eichlin, 1973)

Melittia cucurbitae Squash Vine Borer Harris, 1828

Melittia gloriosa Glorious Squash Vine Borer (Edwards, 1880)

Melittia grandis (Strecker, 1881)

Melittia snowii H. Edwards, 1882

Palmia praecedens (H. Edwards, 1883)

Paranthrene asilipennis Oak Stump Borer Moth (Boisduval, 1829)

Paranthrene dollii (Neumoegen, 1894)

Paranthrene fenestrata Barnes & Lindsey, 1922

Paranthrene simulans Hornet Clearwing (Grote, 1881)

Parathrene tabaniformis Dusky Clearwing (Rottemburg, 1775)

Penstemonia clarkei (Engelhardt, 1946)

Podosesia aureocincta Banded Ash Clearwing Moth (Purrington & Neilsen, 1977)

Podosesia syringae Lilac Borer (Harris, 1839)

Sannina uroceriformis Persimmon Borer Moth (Walker, 1856)

Sesia apiformis European Hornet Moth (Clerck, 1759)

Sesia spartani (Eichlin & Taft, 1988)

Sesia tibialis (Harris, 1839)

Synanthedon acerni Maple Callus Borer Moth (Clemens, 1860)

Synanthedon acerrubri Red Maple Borer (Engelhardt, 1925)

Synanthedon albicornis Western Willow Clearwing (Edwards, 1881)

Synanthedon arkansasensis Arkansas Clearwing (Duckworth & Eichlin, 1973)

Synanthedon bibionipennis Strawberry Crown Moth (Boisduval, 1869)

Synanthedon bolteri Northern Willow Clearwing Moth (Edwards, 1883)

Synanthedon exitiosa Peachtree Borer Moth (Say, 1823)

Synanthedon fatifera Lesser Viburnum Clearwing Moth (Hodges, 1962)

Synanthedon fulvipes (Harris, 1839)

Synanthedon geliformis Pecan Bark Borer Moth (Walker, 1856)

Synanthedon kathyae Holly Borer Moth (Duckworth & Eichlin, 1977)

Synanthedon myopaeformis Apple Clearwing (Borkhausen, 1789)

Synanthedon novaroensis

Synanthedon pictipes Lesser Peachtree Borer Moth (Grote & Robinson, 1868)

Synanthedon pini Pitch Mass Borer (Kellicott, 1881)

Synanthedon polygoni Buckwheat Borer Moth (Edwards, 1881)

Synanthedon pyri (Harris, 1830)

Synanthedon rhododendri Rhododendron Borer Moth (Beutenmuller, 1909)

Synanthedon richardsi (Engelhardt, 1946)

Synanthedon rileyana Riley's Clearwing (H. Edwards, 1881)

Synanthedon rubrofascia (Edwards, 1881)

Synanthedon sapygaeformis Florida Oak Gall Moth (Walker, 1856)

Synanthedon scitula (Harris, 1839)

Synanthedon sequoiae Sequoia Pitch Moth (Edwards, 1881)

Synanthedon tipuliformis Currant Borer Moth (Clerck, 1759)

Synanthedon viburni Viburnum Clearwing Moth (Engelhardt, 1925)

Subfamily: Tinthiinae (Tinthiines)

Albuna fraxini Virginia Creeper Borer Moth (H. Edwards, 1881)

Albuna pyramidalis Fireweed Clearwing Moth (Walker, 1856)

Paranthrene robiniae Western Poplar Clearwing Moth (Edwards, 1880)

Pennisetia marginata Raspberry Crown Borer Moth (Harris, 1839)

Sophona snellingi Eichlin, 1986

Vitacea polistiformis Grape Root Borer Moth (Harris, 1854)

Vitacea scepsiformis Lesser Grape Root Borer (Edwards, 1881)

Zenodoxus mexicanus Beutenmüller, 1897

Zenodoxus palmii (Neumoegen, 1891)

Zenodoxus rubens Engelhardt, 1946

Subfamily: Tortricinae (Tortricines)

Zenodoxus canescens (Edwards, 1881)

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Description of Sesiidae

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Subfamily:

Subfamily: Sesiinae (Sesiines)

Subfamily: Tinthiinae (Tinthiines)

Subfamily: Tortricinae (Tortricines)

Thank you!

Photographs of Sesiidae

Synanthedon scitula

Peachtree Borer Moth
Synanthedon exitiosa

Fireweed Clearwing Moth
Albuna pyramidalis

Florida Oak Gall Moth
Synanthedon sapygaeformis

Buckwheat Borer Moth
Synanthedon polygoni

Grape Root Borer Moth
Vitacea polistiformis

Euhagena nebraskae

Synanthedon rubrofascia

Virginia Creeper Borer Moth
Albuna fraxini

Currant Borer Moth
Synanthedon tipuliformis

Squash Vine Borer
Melittia cucurbitae

Holly Borer Moth
Synanthedon kathyae

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Family Sesiidae (Sesiid Moths)

Subfamily:

Subfamily: Sesiinae (Sesiines)

Subfamily: Tinthiinae (Tinthiines)

Subfamily: Tortricinae (Tortricines)

Thank you!

Photographs of Sesiidae

Peachtree Borer MothSynanthedon exitiosa

Fireweed Clearwing MothAlbuna pyramidalis

Florida Oak Gall MothSynanthedon sapygaeformis

Buckwheat Borer MothSynanthedon polygoni

Grape Root Borer MothVitacea polistiformis

Virginia Creeper Borer MothAlbuna fraxini

Currant Borer MothSynanthedon tipuliformis

Squash Vine BorerMelittia cucurbitae

Holly Borer MothSynanthedon kathyae

Peachtree Borer Moth
Synanthedon exitiosa

Fireweed Clearwing Moth
Albuna pyramidalis

Florida Oak Gall Moth
Synanthedon sapygaeformis

Buckwheat Borer Moth
Synanthedon polygoni

Grape Root Borer Moth
Vitacea polistiformis

Virginia Creeper Borer Moth
Albuna fraxini

Currant Borer Moth
Synanthedon tipuliformis

Squash Vine Borer
Melittia cucurbitae

Holly Borer Moth
Synanthedon kathyae