The Cossinae are the nominate subfamily of the Cossidae

Cossidae

Cossidae, the cossid millers or carpenter millers, make up a family of mostly large miller moths. Ths family contains over 110 genera with almost 700 known species, and many more species await description...

 (carpenter or goat moths). The caterpillar

Caterpillar

Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...

s of several Cossinae species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

, such as the Carpenterworm

Prionoxystus robiniae

The Carpenterworm Moth or Locust Borer is a moth of the Cossidae family. It is found in North America, more specifically in Southern Canada and most of the United States....

 (Prionoxystus robiniae

Prionoxystus robiniae

The Carpenterworm Moth or Locust Borer is a moth of the Cossidae family. It is found in North America, more specifically in Southern Canada and most of the United States....

) and the Goat Moth (Cossus cossus), are significant pests. On the other hand, in Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

 the caterpillars of the Chilean Moth (Chilecomadia moorei) are collected on a commercial scale for sale as fishing bait

Fishing bait

Fishing bait is any substance used to attract and catch fish, e.g. on the end of a fishing hook, or inside a fish trap. Traditionally, nightcrawlers, insects, and smaller bait fish have been used for this purpose...

 and terrarium pet food

Pet food

Pet food is plant or animal material 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...

; they are usually called "butterworm

Butterworm

The Chilean Moth is a moth of the Cossidae family. The Butterworm is the larval form and is commonly used as fishing bait in South America....

s" in international trade.

The Cossulinae have been separated from the Cossinae in recent decades, but this was not universally accepted at first. Some misplaced genera have been moved between the subfamilies, and as it seems the Cossulinae at least now represent a monophyletic group.

Selected genera

Some significant species are also listed:

• Acossus Dyar, 1905 (tentatively placed here)
• Catopta Staudinger, 1899
• Citharalia Clench, 1957 (formerly in Cossulinae)
• Chilecomadia
  • Chilecomadia moorei – Chilean Moth
• Comadia Barnes & McDunnough, 1911
• Cossulus Staudinger, 1887 (tentatively placed here)
• Cossus Fabricius, 1794
  • Cossus cossus
    Cossus cossus
    The Goat Moth is a moth of the family Cossidae. It is found in Europe.This is a large heavy moth with a wingspan of 68–96 mm. The wings are greyish brown and marked with fine dark cross lines...
    
    – Goat Moth
• Culama
• Danielostygia Reisser, 1962 (tentatively placed here)
• Dyspessa Hübner, 1820
• Dyspessacossus Daniel, 1953 (tentatively placed here)
• Fania Barnes & McDunnough, 1911 (tentatively placed here)
• Idioses
• Isoceras Turati, 1924 (tentatively placed here)
• Lamellocossus Daniel, 1956 (tentatively placed here)
• Macrocyttara
• Miacora Dyar, 1905 (tentatively placed here)
• Parahypopta Daniel, 1961
• Paropta Staudinger, 1900 (tentatively placed here)
• Prionoxystus Grote, 1882
  • Prionoxystus robiniae
    Prionoxystus robiniae
    The Carpenterworm Moth or Locust Borer is a moth of the Cossidae family. It is found in North America, more specifically in Southern Canada and most of the United States....
    
    – Carpenterworm
• Samagystia Schoorl, 1990 (tentatively placed here)
• Schreiteriana Fletcher, 1982 (formerly in Cossulinae)
• Stygia Latreille, 1803 (tentatively placed here)
• Stygoides Bruand, 1853 (tentatively placed here)
• Surcossus
• Trigena Dyar, 1905 (formerly in Cossulinae)