Castniidae

Boisduval, 1828

The Castniidae is a small family of moths with fewer than 200 species. Most are neotropicals with some species present in Australia and others in Southeast Asia. In Europe a single species is known, the Paysandisia archon of South American origin, recently introduced thanks to the fact that some larvae have been transported by man inside the leaf stalks of palm trees such as those of the genus Trithrinax, currently the species is become a pest also for Mediterranean Europe.
These are medium to very large moths, usually with cryptic gray front wings and brightly colored hind wings. They have club-like antennae and fly during the day and are often mistaken for butterflies. The larvae are often xylophagous and feed on the roots of epiphytes or on monocots. *

* Edwards, Edward D .; Gentili, Patricia; Horak, Marianne; Kristensen, Niels P .; Nielsen, Ebbe S. (1998). "11. Il Cossoid / Sesioid Assemblage". Fascia 4: Arthropoda, 2 Hälfte: Insecta, Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies, Teilband / Part 35, Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography.