top of page

Moths of Zihuatanejo

ORDER LEPIDOPTERA

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

-Insects (Class Insecta)

-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

-Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera)

-Pyralid and Crambid Snout Moths (Superfamily Pyraloidea)

-Crambid Snout Moths (Family Crambidae)

-Subfamily Pyraustinae

-Tribe Pyraustini

-Genus Achyra

-Achyra bifidalis


Achyra bifidalis, is a small, versatile moth in the family Crambidae found across North and South America. The adult has yellowish-brown to tan wings with faint, darker wavy lines and a wingspan of about 20 to 25 millimetres. Grassy areas, fields, and croplands are its primary habitats. It often inhabits locations with abundant host plants for its larvae.

​

Achyra bifidalis

Description

  • Achyra bifidalis is a small moth in the family Crambidae, commonly known as the saltmarsh webworm. Adults have narrow, somewhat triangular forewings that are generally greyish, brown, or yellowish-brown with variable darker markings. The wingspan is typically about 15–20 mm, and the larvae are small caterpillars that construct silken shelters among their food plants.

Range

  • Achyra bifidalis is widely distributed in North and Central America, occurring from the southern United States through Mexico and into parts of Central America. It occurs in the Zihuatanejo area of Guerrero, Mexico.

Habitat

  • This species occupies open, warm habitats including grasslands, agricultural areas, disturbed vegetation, marshy margins, coastal areas, and dry scrub. Larvae are commonly associated with herbaceous plants and grasses, where they shelter among leaves and stems.

Diet

  • The larvae are primarily herbivorous and feed on a variety of grasses, herbaceous plants, and broad-leaved vegetation, often tying leaves together with silk to form a protected feeding shelter. Adults primarily feed on nectar and other liquid food sources.

bottom of page