Tribe Anerastiini Ragonot, 1885

Anerastiini Ragonot, 1885: 23

= Peoriinae Hulst, 1890: 102, 203

= Hypsotropinae Hampson, 1918: 55

Diagnosis. The Anerastiini are characterized by reduced or absent proboscis and bipartite gnathos in the male genitalia. While only these characters are present in all Anerastiini, the following derived characters are present in many Anerastiini, according to Horak (2003): 1) a distally partially flattened gnathos; 2) emargination of posterior margin of the female tergum VIII; 3) the ovipositor lobes laterally compressed, soft, enlarged, ventrally expanded with prolonged apex; 4) laterally or apically flattened gnathos tip; 5) larvae boring in grass stalks or feeding at the base of stems from silken tubes.

Labial palpus usually long, slender, porrect upcurved; maxillary palpus small and filiform or brush-like and contained in a hollow of the labial palpus; frons usually smooth, but sometimes with tufts of hairs or with projections of various shape; antenna in male varying from ciliated to pectinate, first segment often dilated, shaft often downcurved at base with a ridge of scales in its sinus; tibia with all spurs present; abdomen smoothly scaled; forewing narrow; hindwing with medial veins pectinate on upper side (Hampson 1918: 55).

All known host plants of Anerastiini belong in the Poaceae, however, the biology for most species is unknown. Pupation usually takes place in the ground. The larvae of some species ( Polyocha depressella (Swinhoe, 1885) and Coenochroa ablutella) are known as pests of sugar-cane ( Saccarum officinarum) and Mais ( Zea mays) (Hampson 1918: 55; Arora 2000: 93).