Mediterranean Flour Moth
Ephestia kuehniella
This record describes Ephestia kuehniella (species). Recorded family: Pyralidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
It can be a pest in flour mills and bakeries, where the moths are to be found resting on walls and windows by day. The species is rarely found outdoors due to its reliance on warmth, and moths can be found any time except in mid-winter; there are believed to be a number of overlapping generations. E. kuehniella typically feeds as a larva on flour, but can also be found feeding on a number of other foodstuffs. An adventive species in this country. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as adventive. No additional images available for this species.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Pyraloidea
- Family
- Pyralidae (Pyralid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Phycitinae
- Tribe
- Phycitini
- Genus
- Ephestia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
It can be a pest in flour mills and bakeries, where the moths are to be found resting on walls and windows by day.
Seasonal Activity
The species is rarely found outdoors due to its reliance on warmth, and moths can be found any time except in mid-winter; there are believed to be a number of overlapping generations.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
E. kuehniella typically feeds as a larva on flour, but can also be found feeding on a number of other foodstuffs.
Additional species information
Recorded status
An adventive species in this country. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as adventive.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Ephestia kuehniella. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mediterranean Flour Moth
What is Mediterranean Flour Moth?
Mediterranean Flour Moth (Ephestia kuehniella) is a species in the family Pyralidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Mediterranean Flour Moth found?
Habitat: It can be a pest in flour mills and bakeries, where the moths are to be found resting on walls and windows by day.
When is Mediterranean Flour Moth active?
Mediterranean Flour Moth: seasonal activity - The species is rarely found outdoors due to its reliance on warmth, and moths can be found any time except in mid-winter; there are believed to be a number of overlapping generations..
What is the life cycle of a Mediterranean Flour Moth?
E. kuehniella typically feeds as a larva on flour, but can also be found feeding on a number of other foodstuffs.