Mediterranean Flour Moth
Encyclopedia
The Mediterranean Flour Moth, Indian Flour Moth or Mill Moth (Ephestia kuehniella) is a moth
of the family
Pyralidae
. It is a common pest of dry plant produce – especially cereal
s – and found around the world.
Another common name, less unambiguous, is "flour moth
", which (like "pantry moth", occasionally used for the present species) may also refer to the related Indianmeal Moth (Plodia interpunctella). In addition, the species has been discussed under a number of now-invalid junior synonyms, its specific name has been frequently mis-spelled, and it was once placed in a distinct genus
Anagasta (now considered a subgenus
of Ephestia
):
is between 16-20 mm. The larva
(caterpillar
) is off-white with a darker head and about 12 mm long when mature.
The caterpillars are often found feeding on flour
, cereal
s, baked goods and other dry grain
products in food storage areas. Less often, dried fruit
s or mushroom
s and even peat
or rotting wood
may be eaten. The species may reach extreme population densities in suitable locations (such as gristmill
s) if left uncontrolled, and the silk
en webs produced by the caterpillars may even interfere with normal operations of machinery such as flour sieves.
One way to keep the moths away is to place bay leaves
in the food containers along with the original grains. Though products already affected should still be thrown away.
It is essential to ensure that food storage areas are kept clean and tidy and that no residues are left over. In addition it is imperative that food – especially grain, sugar and flour – is kept in plastic or metal storage containers with tight fitting lids. This will stop flour moths and other pests from getting at their contents. Note however that tiny gaps, even at the rim of Tupperware
lids, will allow oviposition
.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Pyralidae
Pyralidae
The Pyralidae or snout moths are a family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian superfamily Pyraloidea. In many classifications, the grass moths are included in the Pyralidae as a subfamily, making the combined group one of the largest families in the Lepidoptera...
. It is a common pest of dry plant produce – especially cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
s – and found around the world.
Another common name, less unambiguous, is "flour moth
Flour moth
The term flour moth refers to certain small moths of the family Pyralidae , whose caterpillars are a pest of flour:* Ephestia kuehniella * Plodia interpunctella...
", which (like "pantry moth", occasionally used for the present species) may also refer to the related Indianmeal Moth (Plodia interpunctella). In addition, the species has been discussed under a number of now-invalid junior synonyms, its specific name has been frequently mis-spelled, and it was once placed in a distinct genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Anagasta (now considered a subgenus
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
of Ephestia
Ephestia
Ephestia is a is a genus of small moths belonging to the family Pyralidae. Some species are significant pests of dry plant produce, such as seeds and cereals. Best known among these are probably the Cacao Moth and the Mediterranean Flour Moth .The genus Cadra is closely related to Ephestia and...
):
- Anagasta huchinella (lapsusLapsusA lapsus is an involuntary mistake made while writing or speaking. According to Freud's early psychoanalytic theory, a lapsus represents a missed deed that hides an unconscious desire....
) - Anagasta kuchinella (lapsus)
- Anagasta kühmiella (lapsus)
- Anagasta kuehniela (lapsus)
- Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller, 1879)
- Anagasta kurhirela (lapsus)
- Anagasta lunella (lapsus)
- Ephestia fuscofasciella Ragonot, 1887
- Ephestia gitonella Druce, 1896
- Homoeosoma alba Roesler, [1965]
- Homoeosoma ischnomorpha Meyrick, 1931
- Homoeosoma nigra Roesler, [1965]
Description and ecology
The adult moth is pale gray and up to 12 mm long, with dark bands. The wingspanWingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is between 16-20 mm. The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
(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...
) is off-white with a darker head and about 12 mm long when mature.
The caterpillars are often found feeding on flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
, cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
s, baked goods and other dry grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
products in food storage areas. Less often, dried fruit
Dried fruit
Dried fruit is fruit where the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to the fourth millennium BC in Mesopotamia, and is prized...
s or mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s and even peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
or rotting wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
may be eaten. The species may reach extreme population densities in suitable locations (such as gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
s) if left uncontrolled, and the silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
en webs produced by the caterpillars may even interfere with normal operations of machinery such as flour sieves.
Pest control
As with most grain- or flour-feeding pests the most effective method of control is to adopt basic good sanitary practices.One way to keep the moths away is to place bay leaves
Bay leaf
Bay leaf refers to the aromatic leaf of the bay laurel . Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive flavor and fragrance. The leaves are often used to flavor soups, stews, braises and pâtés in Mediterranean cuisine...
in the food containers along with the original grains. Though products already affected should still be thrown away.
It is essential to ensure that food storage areas are kept clean and tidy and that no residues are left over. In addition it is imperative that food – especially grain, sugar and flour – is kept in plastic or metal storage containers with tight fitting lids. This will stop flour moths and other pests from getting at their contents. Note however that tiny gaps, even at the rim of Tupperware
Tupperware
Tupperware is the name of a home products line that includes preparation, storage, containment, and serving products for the kitchen and home, which were first introduced to the public in 1946....
lids, will allow oviposition
Oviposition
Oviposition is the process of laying eggs by oviparous animals.Some arthropods, for example, lay their eggs with an organ called the ovipositor.Fish , amphibians, reptiles, birds and monetremata also lay eggs....
.