Megacraspedus Zeller, 1839

Type-species: Ypsolophus (Megacraspedus) dolosellus Zeller, 1839; by subsequent designation.

Megacraspedus is defined by the following putative synapomorphies: reduced sacculus in the male genitalia and strongly sclerotized subostial area and very long apophyses posteriores in the female genitalia. In addition, segment 2 of the labial palpus is usually very long and straight with a dense brush of long hair, and the forewing is often elongate with longitudinal stripes. These features separate Megacraspedus from the related Aristotelia Hübner, [1825] and Caulastrocecis Chrétien, 1931 .

More than 40 species of Megacraspedus are known from the Palearctic region (Rebel 1901, Gaede 1937, Huemer & Karsholt 2001, Junnilainen & Nupponen 2010); two from the Nearctic region (Lee et al. 2009); 23 from Australia (Edwards 1996); and one from New Zealand. The taxonomic status of two species recorded from the Afrotropical region (Meyrick 1920, Vári et al. 2002) require verification. Larvae feed on Poaceae and probably on Asteraceae .