2. Crambidae

The Crambidae are the larger of the two families in Pyraloidea, with 10,418 described species in 1,018 genera globally (Nuss et al. 2003 – 2022, Léger et al. 2020). According to the latest phylogenetic study (Léger et al. 2020), 15 subfamilies are recognized: Acentropinae, Crambinae, Erupinae, Glaphyriinae (including the former Cathariinae, Cybalomiinae, Evergestinae and Noordinae), Heliothelinae, Hoploscopinae, Lathrotelinae, Linostinae, Midilinae, Musotiminae, Odontiinae, Pyraustinae, Schoenobiinae, Scopariinae, and Spilomelinae (including the former Wurthiinae). Of these, Erupinae, Hoploscopinae, Linostinae and Midilinae are not found among the pyraloid fauna of India. Phylogenetic relationships within Crambidae are fairly well understood: Spilomelinae and Pyraustinae are sister groups and are sister to the remainder of Crambidae (Regier et al. 2012, Mally et al. 2019, Léger et al. 2020). Odontiinae are sister to Glaphyriinae, whose larvae are predominantly feeding on mustard oil-containing Brassicales (Solis et al. 2009, Regier et al. 2012, Léger et al. 2020). The “CAMMSS clade” sensu Regier et al. (2012) comprises three main lineages: a clade of the sister groups Lathrotelinae and Musotiminae, a “wet habitat clade” consisting of Acentropinae, Midilinae and Schoenobiinae, and a lineage comprising Hoploscopinae, Erupinae, Heliothelinae, Scoparinae and Crambinae (Regier et al. 2012, Léger et al. 2019, 2020).

Morphologically, Crambidae are distinct from their sister group, the Pyralidae, by the tympanal organs being of the “open type ”, i.e., having a wide anteromedial aperture. Furthermore, the tympanum and conjunctiva meet in a distinct angle, and a well-developed praecinctorium is usually present (Minet 1981, 1983, 1985). Crambid larvae are characterised by the presence of one or two lateral (L) setae on the A9, they lack the sclerotized ring of pyralid larvae around SD 1 on the A8 (Hasenfuss 1960).