Phycitinae (Pyralidae) of the Tarahumara region of northwestern Mexico

The Tarahumara region, or the northern area of the Sierra Madre Occidental, is one of the least known areas in northwestern Mexico with respect to moths (Lepidoptera). We surveyed select groups of moths, including the subfamily Phycitinae, an economically important group with many stored-product pests distributed worldwide, and other major pests, such as the navel orangeworm and the cactus moth. We discovered 35 species of this subfamily, including 3 new species, 5 endemic species, and 10 new records for Mexico. All species except one were new records for the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua, and included 7 northernmost and 9 southernmost range extensions within Mexico. Local high school students from Yecora, Sonora, participated in the study, collected moths at sheets, and learned how to pin and spread moths.