Cacao moth | |
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Species: | E. elutella |
Binomial name | |
Ephestia elutella (Hübner, 1796) | |
Synonyms | |
Numerous, see text |
Ephestia elutella, the cacao moth, tobacco moth or warehouse moth, is a small moth of the family Pyralidae. It is probably native to Europe, but has been transported widely, even to Australia. A subspecies is E. e. pterogrisella.
The wingspan is 14–20 mm. This moth flies throughout the warmer months, e.g. from the end of April to October in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The caterpillars of Ephestia elutella are often considered a pest, as they feed on dry plant produce, such as cocoa beans and tobacco, as well as cereals and dried fruit and nuts. Less usual foods include [1] dried-out meat and animal carcasses, specimens in insect collections, and dry wood.
Tobacco and its related products can be infested by Lasioderma serricorne (tobacco beetle) and Ephestia elutella, which are the most widespread and damaging parasites to the tobacco industry. [2] Infestation can range from the tobacco cultivated in the fields to the leaves used for manufacturing cigars, cigarillos, cigarettes, etc. [2]
This species has been known under a number of junior synonyms: [3]
The Mediterranean flour moth or mill moth is a moth of the family Pyralidae. It is a common pest of cereal grains, especially flour. This moth is found throughout the world, especially in countries with temperate climates. It prefers warm temperatures for more rapid development, but it can survive a wide range of temperatures.
The white-shouldered house moth is a species of gelechioid moth. It belongs to the subfamily Oecophorinae of the concealer moth family (Oecophoridae), just like the brown house moth. Though several presumed congeners of E. sarcitrella were described, its genus Endrosis is currently understood to be monotypic.
Lasioderma serricorne, commonly known as the cigarette beetle, cigar beetle, or tobacco beetle, is an insect very similar in appearance to the drugstore beetle and the common furniture beetle. All three species belong to the family Ptinidae.
Orthonama obstipata, the gem, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794. It is a cosmopolitan species. In continental Europe though in the northeast, its range does not significantly extend beyond the Baltic region and it is absent from northern Russia. This well-flying species is prone to vagrancy and able to cross considerable distances of open sea; it can thus be regularly found on the British Isles and even on Iceland.
Galleria mellonella, the greater wax moth or honeycomb moth, is a moth of the family Pyralidae. G. mellonella is found throughout the world. It is one of two species of wax moths, with the other being the lesser wax moth. G. mellonella eggs are laid in the spring, and they have four life stages. Males are able to generate ultrasonic sound pulses, which, along with pheromones, are used in mating. The larvae of G. mellonella are also often used as a model organism in research.
Syndemis musculana is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in Europe, China, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Russia (Amur) and North America.
Olethreutes arcuella, the arched marble, is a colorful small moth species of the family Tortricidae.
Agriphila inquinatella is a small moth species of the family Crambidae. It is found in Europe, around the Caucasus area to Turkestan, and in the Near East to Jordan.
Nemapogon granella is a species of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family (Tineidae), and therein to the subfamily Nemapogoninae. It is the type species of its genus Nemapogon, and via that also of the subfamily Nemapogoninae. It is also the type species of the proposed genera Brosis and Diaphthirusa, which are consequently junior objective synonyms of Nemapogon.
The brown-dotted clothes moth is a species of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family (Tineidae), and therein to the nominate subfamily Tineinae. It is the type species of its genus Niditinea.
The Lesser Tawny Crescent is a species of gelechioid moth. It belongs to the subfamily Oecophorinae of the concealer moth family (Oecophoridae). It is the type species of the genus Batia, which is sometimes treated as monotypic. But this is not well warranted, as some other species usually placed there differ little from the Lesser Tawny Crescent.
Nemapogon cloacella, the cork moth, is a species of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family (Tineidae), and therein to the subfamily Nemapogoninae. Its junior synonym N. infimella was established by G.H. Heydenreich in the 1851 volume of his Lepidopterorum Europaeorum Catalogus Methodicus, but many sources still attribute it to G.A.W. Herrich-Schäffer, who supposedly narrowly beat Heidenreich in (re)describing the species. But as it seems, Herrich-Schäffer was merely one of the first to use the name proposed by Heydenreich, as the volume of his Systematische Bearbeitung der Schmetterlinge von Europa where he discussed the cork moth was not published until 1853 or 1854. That all nonwithstanding, the species had been already validly described by A.H. Haworth in the 1828 volume of Lepidoptera Britannica.
Ephestia 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.
Pseudatemelia flavifrontella is a species of gelechioid moths.
Aglossa caprealis, the stored grain moth, is a moth species of the family Pyralidae. It is found globally, though its native range is presumably the western Palearctic or nearby regions, as in other Aglossa species.
Cnephasia asseclana, the flax tortrix, is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found all over Europe.
Celypha aurofasciana is a small moth species of the family Tortricidae. It is native to Europe and the Palearctic but occurs in some other places as an introduced species.
The rice moth is a moth of the family Pyralidae. This small moth can become a significant pest. Its caterpillars feed on dry plantstuffs such as seeds, including cereals. Other recorded foods are flour and dried fruits.
Aglossa is a genus of small moths belonging to the family Pyralidae. It was described by Pierre André Latreille in 1796. They are found mainly in western Eurasia, though some species have been introduced elsewhere.
Hypsopygia glaucinalis is a moth of the family Pyralidae. It is sometimes placed in the genus Orthopygia either alone or with a few other species. Being the type species of Orthopygia, as soon as O. glaucinalis is placed in Ocrasa"Orthopygia" is abolished. To further complicate matters, Ocrasa is now mostly treated as a synonym or subgenus of Hypsopygia.
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