"Meal moth" redirects here. Not to be confused with Flour moth.
Meal moth
Adult from above
The underwings have no conspicuous pattern
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Pyralidae
Genus:
Pyralis
Species:
P. farinalis
Binomial name
Pyralis farinalis
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Asopia farinalis Linnaeus, 1758
Pyralis farinalis, the meal moth, is a cosmopolitan moth of the family Pyralidae. Its larvae (caterpillars) are pests of certain stored foods, namely milled plant products.
It is the type species of the genus Pyralis, and by extension of its entire tribe (Pyralini), subfamily (Pyralinae) and family. Its synanthropic habits were noted even by 18th- and 19th-century naturalists, who described it using terms like domesticalis ("of home and hearth"), fraterna ("as close as a brother"), or the currently-valid farinalis ("of the flour").[1]
At rest, adult moths (imagines) typically hold the tip of their abdomen at 90° to their body. Their upperwings are fairly colourful by moth standards, and have a wingspan of 18–30 mm. Adults fly from June to August.[2] Adults do not live long after mating and eggs hatch quickly, which leads this moth to have a quick life cycle and be able to produce multiple generations within a single year.
In Great Britain and some other locations – particularly outside its natural range – it is mostly restricted to anthropogenic habitats of stored grain, e.g. barns and warehouses. However, it has been found in almond orchards among plant detritus and poultry farms among chicken manure.
P. farinalis is a species that is well adapted to living among humans and the urbanization that comes along with them. Though considered a pest to most since it can decimate grain storages, humans have found uses for the moth. In Chinese culture it is the main ingredient of "insect tea." This drink is popular enough that scientists have been studying the moth's optimum growth conditions so they can possibly cultivate it for commercial use.[3]
Pyralisfarinalis, the meal moth, is a cosmopolitan moth of the family Pyralidae. Its larvae (caterpillars) are pests of certain stored foods, namely...
is closely related to the genus Pyralis, and as a result, is usually associated with the meal moth, Pyralisfarinalis. Aglossa cuprina ingests grease...
defoliator pest of mahogany trees (Swietenia); Neotropics. Meal moth (Pyralisfarinalis: Pyralinae) – pest of stored grain, flour and other cereals; now introduced...
of female Pyralisfarinalis. Both species release the pheromone (Z,Z)-11,13-hexa decadienal which is used to attract males. Male P. farinalis have been...
proximal part light grey and the distal part dark or reddish grey. Pyralisfarinalis, a somewhat more distantly related and more robust snout moth, is...
Tetrastichus parasitizes many different species of Lepidoptera, such as Pyralisfarinalis. Cotton, R. T.; Good, Newell Emanuel; Agriculture, United States Dept...
Pyralis pictalis, the painted meal moth or poplar pyralis, is a snout moth (family Pyralidae). It is closely related to the family's type species the...
having hindwing veins 7 and 8 unjoined as adults. The meal moth (Pyralisfarinalis) and the grease moth (Aglossa pinguinalis) are pests of stored food...
often found when the grain is stored improperly. Species such as Pyralisfarinalis live in grain silos where moisture has been able to infiltrate the...
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