Pyralis farinalis

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Meal moth
Pyralis farinalis01.jpg
Adult from above
Velaina 1a.jpg
The underwings have no conspicuous pattern
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pyralidae
Genus: Pyralis
Species:
P. farinalis
Binomial name
Pyralis farinalis
Synonyms

Asopia farinalisLinnaeus, 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.

Contents

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]

Geographic range

Pyralis farinalis has been described as a "cosmopolitan" species, which means its range extends across most of the world. [4] It is found all across the United States, but is mostly found along the eastern coast. This moth is most commonly seen in the Northeastern region. [5] It is also found in Great Britain, in the Falkland Islands, and in China. [6] [4]

Habitat

P. farinalis is typically found in silos or other grain storage buildings where the grain is stored poorly and moisture is able to infiltrate the grain supply. Places where refuse vegetable matter is able to accumulate are more likely to house P. farinalis than grain storage buildings where the environment is clean and dry. [7] P. farinalis prefers to live in detritus and has been found in non-urban areas in almond orchards. [8] Meal moths can live in various habitats of damp, moist plant debris, but also even in poultry manure. [4]

Food resources

Caterpillar

As caterpillars, P. farinalis subsists mostly on cereals, but will also feed upon other types of grain and vegetables, such as potatoes. The meal moth's larvae are also interesting because they feed on all parts of the grain plant and do not seem to have any preference for one part of another. The larvae are equally likely to eat a cereal plant's seed, bran, husk, or straw. [7]

Life history

Originally thought to be biennial species, it has been found that P. farinalis typically completes its entire life cycle in the course of eight weeks, and is capable of producing four generations within a year. [7] Fast life cycles in these moths allow them to reproduce and grow their populations rapidly. [4]

Life cycle

Egg

The eggs of P. farinalis are ellipsoid in shape and very wrinkled with creases running lengthwise along the egg. [9] These wrinkles form a reticulated pattern on the surface of the egg. [4] Eggs are usually laid between two and five days after copulation and hatch after a nine-day incubation period. [10] [4] A healthy female produces an average of 235 eggs in its lifetime. [10]

Figs. 2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d larvae in various stages Buckler W The larvae of the British butterflies and moths PlateCXLIX.jpg
Figs. 2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d larvae in various stages

Caterpillar

The larvae of P. farinalis spend most of their time out of sight of predators and humans. They live in tunnels of silk and meal particles which keep them safe from predators and they come to the openings of these tunnels to feed. [4]

Pupae

Once fully grown, the caterpillars leave their tubes and spin a cocoon where they will develop into an adult. After 6–8 weeks the pupae will emerge as fully developed adults. [4]

Adult

Adults are usually fully developed between 60–65 days after oviposition. Virgin adults would then mate as quickly as possible. Once mated, males and females would usually only live for nine to ten more days. [4]

Enemies

Parasites

P. farinalis is parasitized by a number of species. These include: [11]

Mating

Female/male interactions

Pheromones

An odd behavior that male meal moths exhibit is the attempt to mate with other species, such as Amyelois transitella . It is hypothesized that these two species share the sex pheromone (Z,Z)-11,13-hexa decadienal which female A. transitella use to attract males of their species. However, male P. farinalis are also attracted to this pheromone and will court and copulate with A. transitella females, but it is unlikely that offspring of these copulations would be viable. [8]

Interactions with humans

Pest of crop plants

Because of the meal moth's extensive appetite for cereals and grains, it is considered a pest by agriculturists. If grain is not stored properly, then a colony of meal moths can do considerable damage to the crop. [7] [4]

Agricultural use

One of the most surprising uses for P. farinalis is its use in producing "insect tea" in China. In China, the moth lives on the host plant of Litsea coreana and scientists have been studying optimum temperatures for which the moth is able to grow and develop best in the hopes of being able to cultivate the moths for insect tea. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lepidoptera</span> Order of insects including moths and butterflies

Lepidoptera or lepidopterans is an order of winged insects that includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organisms, making it the second largest insect order with 126 families and 46 superfamilies, and one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyralidae</span> Family of moths

The Pyralidae, commonly called pyralid moths, snout moths or grass moths, are a family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian superfamily Pyraloidea. In many classifications, the grass moths (Crambidae) are included in the Pyralidae as a subfamily, making the combined group one of the largest families in the Lepidoptera. The latest review by Eugene G. Munroe and Maria Alma Solis retain the Crambidae as a full family of Pyraloidea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indianmeal moth</span> Species of moth

The Indianmeal moth, also spelled Indian meal moth and Indian-meal moth, is a pyraloid moth of the family Pyralidae. Alternative common names are hanger-downers, weevil moth, pantry moth, flour moth or grain moth. The almond moth and the raisin moth are commonly confused with the Indian-meal moth due to similar food sources and appearance. The species was named for feeding on Indian meal or cornmeal, and does not occur natively in India. It is also not to be confused with the Mediterranean flour moth, another common pest of stored grains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabbage moth</span> Species of moth

The cabbage moth is primarily known as a pest that is responsible for severe crop damage of a wide variety of plant species. The common name, cabbage moth, is a misnomer as the species feeds on many fruits, vegetables, and crops in the genus Brassica. Other notable host plants include tobacco, sunflower, and tomato, making this pest species particularly economically damaging.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Almond moth</span> Species of moth

The almond moth or tropical warehouse moth is a small, stored-product pest. Almond moths infest flour, bran, oats, and other grains, as well as dried fruits. It belongs to the family of snout moths (Pyralidae), and more specifically to the tribe Phycitini of the huge snout moth subfamily Phycitinae. This species may be confused with the related Indian mealmoth or the Mediterranean flour moth, which are also common pantry pests in the same subfamily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mediterranean flour moth</span> Species of moth

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyralinae</span> Subfamily of moths

The Pyralinae are the typical subfamily of snout moths and occur essentially worldwide, in some cases aided by involuntary introduction by humans. They are rather rare in the Americas however, and their diversity in the Australian region is also limited. Altogether, this subfamily includes about 900 described species, but new ones continue to be discovered. Like many of their relatives in the superfamily Pyraloidea, the caterpillar larvae of many Pyralinae – and in some cases even the adults – have evolved the ability to use unusual foods for nutrition; a few of these can become harmful to humans as pests of stored goods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyralini</span> Tribe of moths

The Pyralini are a tribe of snout moths described by Pierre André Latreille in 1809. They belong to the subfamily Pyralinae, which contains the "typical" snout moths of the Old World and some other regions. The genus list presented here is provisional.

Home-stored product entomology is the study of insects that infest foodstuffs stored in the home. It deals with the prevention, detection and eradication of pests.

<i>Aglossa cuprina</i> Species of moth

Aglossa cuprina, the grease moth, is a snout moth, family Pyralidae, described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1872. The grease moth is closely related to the genus Pyralis, and as a result, is usually associated with the meal moth, Pyralis farinalis.

<i>Aglossa caprealis</i> Species of moth

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angoumois grain moth</span> Species of moth

The Angoumois grain moth is a species of the Gelechiidae moth family, commonly referred to as the "rice grain moth". It is most abundant in the temperate or tropical climates of India, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Egypt and Nigeria, with its location of origin being currently unknown. It is most commonly associated as a pest of field and stored cereal grains as they burrow within the kernel grains of crop plants, rendering them unusable for human consumption. By laying eggs between the grains themselves and hatching at a later time, often during the processing, transportation or storage stages, the moth can be transported to households or countries presently free of Angoumois grain moth infestations. Thus, constant protection against the Angoumois grain moth is required for grain up till the time of consumption.

<i>Aglossa</i> Genus of moths

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.

<i>Pyralis pictalis</i> Species of moth

Pyralis pictalis, the painted meal moth or poplar pyralis, is a snout moth. It is closely related to the family's type species the meal moth and consequently belongs to the tribe Pyralini of the snout moth subfamily Pyralinae. Its native range is tropical Asia to East Asia and to Wallacea and adjacent regions, but it has been quite widely distributed by humans. The term "Poplar" in its common name does not refer to the trees, but to Poplar, London, where the type specimen – from such an introduction – was caught. It was called scarce meal moth in the original description, which is only correct for the fringes of its range however.

<i>Pyralis manihotalis</i> Species of moth

Pyralis manihotalis is a moth of the family Pyralidae described by Achille Guenée in 1854.

<i>Cadra figulilella</i> Species of moth

Cadra figulilella, the raisin moth, is a moth of the family Pyralidae. The raisin moth is known most commonly as a pest that feeds on dried fruits, such as the raisin and date. It covers a range that includes much of the world, primarily situating itself in areas of California, Florida, the Eastern Mediterranean region, and some parts of Africa, Australia, and South America. The moth prefers to live in a hot, arid climate with little moisture and plentiful harvest for its larvae to feed on. Study of this species is important due to the vast amount of economic damage it causes yearly and worldwide to agriculture crops.

<i>Eldana</i> Genus of moths

Eldana is a genus of moths of the family Pyralidae containing only one species, the African sugar-cane borer, which is commonly found in Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and South Africa. Adults have pale brown forewings with two small spots in the centre and light brown hindwings, and they have a wingspan of 35mm. This species is particularly relevant to humans because the larvae are a pest of the Saccharum species as well as several grain crops such as sorghum and maize. Other recorded host plants are cassava, rice and Cyperus species. When attacking these crops, E. saccharina bores into the stems of their host plant, causing severe damage to the crop. This behavior is the origin of the E. saccharrina's common name, the African sugar-cane borer. The African sugar-cane borer is a resilient pest, as it can survive crop burnings. Other methods such as intercropping and parasitic wasps have been employed to prevent further damage to crops.

<i>Amyelois</i> Genus of moths

Amyelois is a monotypic snout moth genus described by Hans Georg Amsel in 1956. Its single species, Amyelois transitella, the navel orangeworm, described by Francis Walker in 1863, is endemic to the tropical Western Hemisphere, including the southern United States. Its abundance in California increased greatly during the first half of the 20th century.

<i>Ostrinia furnacalis</i> Species of moth

Ostrinia furnacalis is a species of moth in the family Crambidae, the grass moths. It was described by Achille Guenée in 1854 and is known by the common name Asian corn borer since this species is found in Asia and feeds mainly on corn crop. The moth is found from China to Australia, including in Java, Sulawesi, the Philippines, Borneo, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Micronesia. The Asian corn borer is part of the species complex, Ostrinia, in which members are difficult to distinguish based on appearance. Other Ostrinia such as O. orientalis, O. scapulalis, O. zealis, and O. zaguliaevi can occur with O. furnacalis, and the taxa can be hard to tell apart.

Insect tea refers to teas made from leaves bitten by, and the droppings of, insects fed on specific plants. Most insect teas originate from the Southeast Asian region. They are often used in local traditional medicine, but have not been well-studied in the scientific literature.

References

  1. See references in Savela (2009)
  2. Kimber (2010)
  3. "CAB Direct". www.cabdirect.org. Retrieved 2017-10-25.[ dead link ]
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Subramanyam, Bhadriraju (1995). Integrated Management of Insects in Stored Products. CRC Press. ISBN   978-0-8247-9522-1.
  5. "Meal Moth Pyralis farinalis Linnaeus, 1758 | Butterflies and Moths of North America". www.butterfliesandmoths.org. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  6. Wakeham-Dawson, Andrew (2009). "Lepidoptera of the Falkland Islands: (1) Pyraloidea". The Entomologist's Record and Journal of Variation. 121: 137–143 via ResearchGate.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Howard, Leland Ossian; Marlatt, C. L. (1896). The Principal Household Insects of the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office.
  8. 1 2 Landolt, P. J.; Curtis, C. E. (1982). "Interspecific Sexual Attraction between Pyralis farinalis L. and Amyelois transitella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)". Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 55 (2): 248–252. JSTOR   25084280.
  9. Arbogast, Richard T.; Van Byrd, Richard (1981-01-01). "External morphology of the eggs of the meal moth, pyralis farinalis (L.), and the murky meal moth, Aglossa caprealis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)". International Journal of Insect Morphology and Embryology. 10 (5): 419–423. doi:10.1016/0020-7322(81)90022-2.
  10. 1 2 Curtis, Charles E.; Landolt, Peter J. (1992-07-01). "Development and life history of Pyralis farinalis L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on an artificial diet". Journal of Stored Products Research. 28 (3): 171–177. doi:10.1016/0022-474X(92)90037-Q.
  11. R. T. Cotton; Newell Emanuel Good; United States. Dept. of Agriculture; United States. Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine (1937). Annotated list of the insects and mites associated with stored grain and cereal products, and of their arthropod parasites and predators. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. p.  2.
  12. Mao, Xin; Kusstatscher, Peter; Li, Haoxi; Chen, Xiaoyulong; Berg, Gabriele; Yang, Maofa; Cernava, Tomislav (2020). "Microbiome-Guided Exploration of the Microbial Assemblage of the Exotic Beverage "Insect Tea" Native to Southwestern China". Frontiers in Microbiology. 10: 3087. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.03087 . ISSN   1664-302X. PMC   7000658 . PMID   32063890.

Bibliography