European grain moth | |
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Adult from Dresden (Germany) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Tineidae |
Genus: | Nemapogon |
Species: | N. granella |
Binomial name | |
Nemapogon granella | |
Synonyms | |
Numerous, see text |
Nemapogon granella (European grain worm or European grain moth) 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 (as established by J. Hübner, a junior homonym and thus invalid) and Diaphthirusa, which are consequently junior objective synonyms of Nemapogon. [1]
This moth ranges widely across the western Palearctic. However, even in its native range its distribution is somewhat patchy; in the UK for example, it is widespread, but may still be locally absent. It has not been recorded from France and Slovenia, but this may simply be due to its being overlooked or confused with similar species than being genuinely absent, as it is found in the neighboring countries. [2] Its apparent absence from Iceland, on the other hand, is more likely genuine. But this synanthropic moth has been distributed essentially all over the globe, though many such introduced populations are not stable for long periods of time. Still, it is regularly found in Australia for example, about as far away from its native range as is possible on Earth. The adults are most often seen throughout the summer months, e.g. from March to September in the UK. Naturally, populations associated with humans can be encountered at any time of the year. [3]
This small moth has a wingspan of 10–18 mm. The forewings are irregularly mottled black, white and grey, resembling close relatives such as the cork moth (N. cloacella). They have a row of large black spots on the leading edge, which merge with spots within the wing to form a rough band zigzagging along the length of the forewings. The hindwings are uniformly greyish-brown and surrounded by a fringe of long hairs. On the head, the adults have a tuft of yellowish-white hairs. [4]
The caterpillar larvae eat rotting wood in the wild, though they prefer bracket fungi, usually Polyporales. Their mainstay food included Polyporaceae such as sulphur polypore (Laetiporus sulphureus), dryad's saddle (Polyporus squamosus) or turkey tail (Trametes versicolor), as well as Fomitopsidaceae, e.g. birch polypore (Piptoporus betulinus). But they have also been found on Serpula lacrymans of the quite unrelated Boletales. [5]
Larvae in association with humans will feed on a variety of dry organic material, such as dried fruit (e.g.bilberries, Vaccinium) and mushrooms, cereal and legume seeds, flour, Topinambur (Helianthus tuberosus) stalks, and even cork (e.g. corks of wine and champagne bottles) and the ergot fungus Claviceps purpurea . Further records have been claimed from Capsicum annuum fruit, poppyseed (Papaver somniferum), bitter almonds (Prunus amygdalus amara) and beeswax, but it is not clear if they refer to this species or the cork moth. [5]
This widespread, often common and partially synanthropic species has been described times and again under a variety of scientific names, all now obsolete. In addition, it has been affected by the common problem of Nemapogon , namely uncertainty whether their specific names were of male and female gender, ending in -us or -a. Junior synonyms and other obsolete scientific names of the European grain moth are: [6]
The supposed subspecies nigra form Belgium has turned out to be a chance form, rather than a distinct population. [6]
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.
Lomographa bimaculata, the white-pinion spotted, is a species of geometer moth. It belongs to the large geometer moth subfamily Ennominae, and therein to the tribe Baptini. It is – under its junior synonym – the type species of its genus Lomographa. It is also the type species of Bapta, a junior objective synonym of Lomographa and the namesake of the Baptini. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius ion 1775.
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.
Enarmonia formosana, the cherrybark tortrix or cherry-bark moth, is a small but colorful moth species of the family Tortricidae. It is native to all of northern and western Europe, ranging south to the Maghreb. North of the Alps its range extends eastwards to Siberia and Kazakhstan. Possibly and most likely introduced populations are found in Asia Minor and North America, respectively.
Scythropia crataegella, the hawthorn moth, is a species of moth in the family Plutellidae from western Eurasia. It is usually placed in a small subfamily Scythropiinae, which is sometimes included in the Yponomeutinae of the Yponomeutidae.
Olethreutes arcuella, the arched marble, is a colorful small moth species of the family Tortricidae.
Monopis obviella 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 Blabophanes, today treated as a junior synonym of the genus Monopis. M. crocicapitella was only separated from the present species in 1859, and is still frequently confused with it even by rather recent sources.
Tinea semifulvella is a species of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family (Tineidae), and therein to the nominate subfamily Tineinae. It is widespread and common in much of the western Palearctic, but seems to be absent from Portugal and the Balkans as well as the outlying islands. The nocturnal adults are on the wing around May to September, depending on the location, and are easily attracted to light sources.
Tinea pellionella, the case-bearing clothes moth, is a species of tineoid moth in the family Tineidae, the fungus moths. This species has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring nearly worldwide.
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.
Micropterix aureatella is a moth of the family Micropterigidae found in the Palearctic realm, except for North Africa.
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.
Oecophora bractella is a species of gelechioid moth. It belongs to the subfamily Oecophorinae of the concealer moth family (Oecophoridae). As the type species of its genus Oecophora, its affiliations and phylogeny determine the delimitation of that family and subfamily.
Nemapogon is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Nemapogoninae. As evident by its name, it is the type genus of its subfamily.
Epiblema foenella, the white-foot bell, is a moth of the family Tortricidae.
Monopis laevigella, the skin 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 the genus Monopis and its junior objective synonym Hyalospila. As with the common clothes moth, earlier authors frequently misapplied the name Tinea vestianella to the present species.
Tinea trinotella is a species of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family (Tineidae), and therein to the nominate subfamily Tineinae. It was once used as type species of a distinct genus Acedes, but this is synonymized today with Tinea, the type genus of Tineinae, Tineidae and the superfamily Tineoidea.
Tinea is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Tineinae. As evident by its name, it is the type genus of its subfamily and family. Established as one of the first subgroups of "Phalaena", it used to contain many species of Tineidae that are nowadays placed in other genera, as well as a few moths nowadays placed elsewhere.
Celypha rivulana is a small moth species of the family Tortricidae. It is found in most of Europe.
Phycita is a genus of small moths belonging to the snout moth family (Pyralidae). They are the type genus of their tribe Phycitini and of the huge snout moth subfamily Phycitinae.