The Cossidae, the cossid millers or carpenter millers, make up a

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

of mostly large miller moths. This family contains over 110 genera with almost 700 known species, and many more species await description. Carpenter millers are

nocturnal Nocturnality is an ethology, animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have ...

Lepidoptera found worldwide, except the

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

n subfamily

Ratardinae The Ratardinae are a small subfamily of large moths from Southeast Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Ratardinae is a small subfamily of moths formerly placed in its own family Ratardidae and related to (and often included within) the Cossidae. T ...

, which is mostly active during the day. This family includes many species with large

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larva, larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterfly, butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawfly ...

s and

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of ...

s with a

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan ...

from . These moths are mostly grey; some have long, narrow wings and resemble

hawkmoth The Sphingidae are a family of moths (Lepidoptera) called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars known as “hornworms”; it includes about 1,450 species. It is best represented in the tropics, b ...

s (Sphingidae) which are more advanced

macrolepidoptera Macrolepidoptera is a group within the insect order Lepidoptera. Traditionally used for the larger butterflies and moths as opposed to the "microlepidoptera", this group is artificial. However, it seems that by moving some taxa about, a monoph ...

, however. Many are twig, bark, or leaf

mimic MIMIC, known in capitalized form only, is a former simulation computer language developed 1964 by H. E. Petersen, F. J. Sansom and L. M. Warshawsky of Systems Engineering Group within the Air Force Materiel Command at the Wright-Patterson AFB in ...

s, and Cossidae often have some sort of large marking at the tip of the forewing uppersides, conspicuous in flight, but resembling a broken-off twig when the animals are resting. Caterpillars are smooth with a few hairs. Most cossid caterpillars are tree borers, in some species taking up to three years to mature. The caterpillars

pupa A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

te within their tunnels; they often have an unpleasant smell, hence another colloquial name is goat moths. The family includes the carpenterworm (''

Prionoxystus robiniae ''Prionoxystus robiniae'', the carpenterworm moth or locust borer, is a moth of the family Cossidae. It was first described by Peck in 1818 and it is found in southern Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and ...

'') and the

goat moth ''Cossus cossus'', the goat moth, is a moth of the family Cossidae. It is found in Northern Africa, Asia and Europe. Biology This is a large heavy moth with a wingspan of 68–96 mm. The wings are greyish brown and marked with fine dark cr ...

(''Cossus cossus'') which have gained popularity as

pest Pest or The Pest may refer to: Science and medicine * Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns ** Weed, a plant considered undesirable * Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection ** ...

s. However, the large caterpillars of species that do not smell badly are often

edible An edible item is any item that is safe for humans to eat. "Edible" is differentiated from "eatable" because it does not indicate how an item tastes, only whether it is fit to be eaten. Nonpoisonous items found in nature – such as some mushro ...

Witchetty grub The witchetty grub (also spelled witchety grub or witjuti grub) is a term used in Australia for the large, white, wood-eating larvae of several moths. In particular, it applies to the larvae of the cossid moth '' Endoxyla leucomochla'', which f ...

s – among the

Outback The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a ...

's most famous

bush tucker Bush tucker, also called bush food, is any food native to Australia and used as sustenance by Indigenous Australians, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, but it can also describe any native flora or fauna used for culinary or m ...

– are most commonly the caterpillars of ''

Endoxyla leucomochla ''Endoxyla leucomochla'' is a species of cossid moth endemic to Australia. The larva of the moth is commonly known as the "witchetty grub", and is widely used as bush tucker by Indigenous Australians.Australia. In

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

, the sweet-smelling caterpillars of the Chilean moth (''

Chilecomadia moorei The Chilean moth (''Chilecomadia moorei'') is a moth of the family Cossidae. The butterworm is the larval form and is commonly used as fishing bait in South America."The Incredible Edible Worm", by Audrey Pavia, ''Reptiles Magazine'', July, 2007 ...

'') are harvested in quantity and internationally traded as butterworms, for use as

pet food Pet food is animal feed intended for consumption by pets. Typically sold in pet stores and supermarkets, it is usually specific to the type of animal, such as dog food or cat food. Most meat used for animals is a byproduct of the human food in ...

and

fishing bait Fishing bait is any substance used to attract and catch fish, e.g. on a fishing hook. Bait items are both selected from and placed within the environment to achieve enhanced prey capture success. Traditionally, fishing baits are natural fish foo ...

Systematics

Some other animal families, such as the Dudgeoneidae, Metarbelidae, and Ratardidae, have been included within this family time and again. The first is considered a distinct family of the

Cossoidea Cossoidea is the superfamily of moths that includes carpenter moths and relatives. Like their likely sister group Sesioidea they are internal feeders and have spiny pupae with moveable segments to allow them to extrude out of their exit holes i ...

today recognizable by their

abdominal The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso ...

tympanal organ A tympanal organ (or tympanic organ) is a hearing organ in insects, consisting of a membrane ( tympanum) stretched across a frame backed by an air sac and associated sensory neurons. Sounds vibrate the membrane, and the vibrations are sensed by ...

s which the Cossidae lack, whereas the other two are usually kept in the Cossidae as

subfamilies In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

. Some unrelated millers were included in the Cossidae in error, too, such as the genus ''

Holcoceroides ''Holcoceroides'' is a monotypic genus of carpenter moths (family Cossidae). It includes only the species ''Holcoceroides ferrugineotincta'' and is doubtfully distinct from '' Holcocerus''. Like the latter, its relationships to other Cossidae a ...

'' which is more primitive

Ditrysia The Ditrysia are a natural group or clade of insects in the lepidopteran order containing both butterflies and moths. They are so named because the female has two distinct sexual openings: one for mating, and the other for laying eggs (in cont ...

, or the Andesianidae which are even more ancient

Heteroneura Heteroneura is a natural group (or clade) in the insect order Lepidoptera that comprises over 99% of all butterflies and moths. This is the sister group of the infraorder Order ( la, ordo) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic r ...

. The Cossidae were usually divided into six

.Pitkin & Jenkins (2004) and see references in Savela (2006) However, numerous new

have been described recently, the current taxonomy is: Древоточец эвкалиптовый

*Subfamily

Catoptinae The Catoptinae are a subfamily of the family Cossidae (carpenter or goat moths). Genera * '' Catopta'' Staudinger, 1899 * ''Chiangmaiana ''Chiangmaiana'' is a genus of the family Cossidae (carpenter or goat moths). Genus * ''Chiangmaiana'' K ...

*Subfamily

Chilecomadiinae The Chilecomadiinae are a subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily bota ...

*Subfamily

Cossinae The Cossinae are the nominate subfamily of the Cossidae (carpenter or goat moths). The caterpillars of several Cossinae species, such as the carpenterworm (''Prionoxystus robiniae'') and the goat moth (''Cossus cossus''), are significant pests. O ...

*Subfamily

Cossulinae The Cossulinae are a subfamily of the family Cossidae (carpenter or goat moths). Genera * ''Austrocossus'' Gentili, 1986 * ''Biocellata'' Davis, Gentili-Poole & Mitter, 2008 * ''Cossula'' Bailey, 1882 * ''Magulacra'' Davis, Gentili-Poole & Mitte ...

*Subfamily

Hypoptinae The Hypoptinae are a subfamily of the family Cossidae (carpenter or goat moths). Genera * ''Acousmaticus'' Butler, 1882 * ''Breyeriana'' Orfila, 1957 * ''Givarbela'' Clench, 1957 * ''Givira'' Walker, 1856 * ''Hypopta'' Hübner, 1820 * ''Inguromo ...

*Subfamily

Mehariinae ''Meharia'' is a genus of moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 1 ...

*Subfamily

Metarbelinae The Metarbelidae are a family of the Cossoidea also called the carpenter or goat moths, and is sometimes treated as a subfamily, Metarbelinae of the Cossidae. No synapomorphies are shared with the Cossidae based on adult morphology. The family Met ...

(disputed) *Subfamily

Politzariellinae The Politzariellinae are a subfamily of the family Cossidae (carpenter or goat moths). Genera * ''Holcoceroides'' Strand, 913 __NOTOC__ Year 913 ( CMXIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the J ...

*Subfamily

Pseudocossinae The Pseudocossinae are a subfamily of the family Cossidae (carpenter or goat moths). Genera * ''Pseudocossus ''Pseudocossus'' is a genus of moths of the family Cossidae from Madagascar. References External linksNatural History Museum Le ...

*Subfamily

(disputed) *Subfamily

Stygiinae Stygiinae is a subfamily of the family Cossidae (carpenter or goat moths Genera * '' Neostygia'' Wiltshire, 1980 * '' Stygia'' Latreille, 802 Year 802 (Roman numerals, DCCCII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the f ...

*Subfamily

Zeuzerinae The Zeuzerinae are a subfamily of the family Cossidae (carpenter or goat moths). Genera * '' Allocryptobia'' Viette, 1951 * ''Alophonotus'' Schoorl, 1990 * ''Aramos'' Schoorl, 1990 * '' Bergaris'' Schoorl, 1990 * ''Brypoctia'' Schoorl, 1960 * ' ...

*Genera ''

Incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...

'': * '' Acritocera'' * '' Anastomophleps'' * ''

Archaeoses ''Archaeoses'' is a genus of moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximate ...

'' * ''

Charmoses ''Charmoses'' is a genus in the family Cossidae, of which the only member species is the moth ''Charmoses dumigani''. ''Charmoses dumigani'' is found in Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign sta ...

'' * '' Dolecta'' * ''

Eusthenica ''Eusthenica treicleiota'' is a species of moth in the family Cossidae and the only species in the genus ''Eusthenica''. It was described by George Thomas Bethune-Baker in 1911. It is found in Australia Australia, officially the Commo ...

'' (or in

Glyphipterigidae The Glyphipterigidae are a family of small moths commonly known as sedge moths, as the larvae of many species feed on sedges and rushes. More than 500 species have been described in the family. Characters The moths have a wingspan of 7 to 16 mil ...

) * †'' Gurnetia'' * '' Huayna'' * '' Psychidarbela'' * ''

Ptilomacra ''Ptilomacra'' is a genus of moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximat ...

'' * '' Schausiania''

Excluded genera

* Moth genera now included in Dudgeoneidae ** †''

Achthina ''Achthina ctenodes'' is a moth in the family Dudgeoneidae, and the only species in the genus ''Achthina''. It is found in Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = ...

'' ** '' Nomima'' ** '' Theatrista'' * Moth genera now included in

Psychidae The Psychidae (bagworm moths, also simply bagworms or bagmoths) are a family of the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). The bagworm family is fairly small, with about 1,350 species described. Bagworm species are found globally, with some, s ...

** '' Adelopsyche'' ** ''

Degia ''Degia'' is a genus of moths in the Psychidae family. Species *''Degia adunca'' Sobczyk, 2009 *''Degia bipunctata'' Sobczyk, 2009 *''Degia deficiens'' Walker, 1862 *''Degia diehli'' Sobczyk, 2009 *''Degia evagata'' (Meyrick, 1921) *''Degia impa ...

'' ** '' Hemilipia'' ** ''

Mekla Mekla is a town and commune in Tizi Ouzou Province in northern Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , ...

'' ** '' Trigonocyttara'' ** ''

Westia ''Westia'' is a genus of moths in the family Psychidae The Psychidae (bagworm moths, also simply bagworms or bagmoths) are a family of the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). The bagworm family is fairly small, with about 1,350 species d ...

'' * Other ** '' Pecticossus'' ** '' Phragmatoecioides'' ** ''

Pseudurgis ''Pseudurgis'' is a genus of moths in the family Tineidae. Species * ''Pseudurgis acosmetos'' Mey, 2011 * ''Pseudurgis karoo'' Mey, 2011 * ''Pseudurgis leucosema'' Meyrick, 1908 * ''Pseudurgis maacki'' Mey, 2007 * ''Pseudurgis karoo'' Mey, 2011 ...

'' ** ''

Synaptophleps ''Phragmataecia'' is a genus of moths belonging to the family Cossidae. Members of this genus are found throughout the world apart from North America. Description Members of this genus are generally medium-sized with very long abdomens, especia ...

'' ** †''

Xyleutites ''Noctuites'' is a genus of extinct moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be ap ...

References

External links

Flickr
Cossidae {{Taxonbar , from=Q838122 Moth families

Systematics

Excluded genera

References

Further reading

External links