Genus Phtheochroa Stephens, 1829

Species of this genus, many of which have been placed under the junior synonyms Hysterosia Haworth or Trachysmia Guenée, generally are associated with the steppe-forest zone and arid regions. They do not occur in tropical Asia or the humid regions of Central and South America (Razowski 1991b). In the Palaearctic there are 46 known species that are widely distributed, both in the north and in the east. The genus is not represented in the Oriental, Afrotropical, or Australian regions (Razowski 1970a, 2002).

The larvae feed in seeds and fruits or in the stems or roots; most species are probably oligophagus. Only two species ( P. inopiana and P. vulneratana) are Holarctic in distribution, and both are widespread in the Palaearctic subregion (Razowski 1991b).