Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Genus Pyralis

Unknown pyralid - Pyralis manihotalis Pyralis manihotalis Meal Moth - SK - Pyralis farinalis  Meal Moth - Pyralis farinalis Meal Moth  - Pyralis farinalis Pyralis farinalis (Meal Moth) - Pyralis farinalis Meal Moth - Pyralis farinalis Unknown Moth - Pyralis farinalis
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Pyraloidea (Pyralid and Crambid Snout Moths)
Family Pyralidae (Pyralid Moths)
Subfamily Pyralinae
Tribe Pyralini
Genus Pyralis
Other Common Names
Meal Moth (Pyralis farinalis)
Tropical Meal Moth (Pyralis manihotalis)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Pyralis Linnaeus, 1758
Aletes Rafinesque, 1815
Ceropsina Rafinesque, 1815
Spyrella Rafinesque, 1815
Asopia Treitschke, 1828
Sacatia Walker, 1863
Eutrichodes Warren, 1891
Explanation of Names
Generic name Pyralis from Pliny, "a winged insect that was supposed to live in fire." From Pliny the Elder (11, 42, 36), see translation at Perseus Digital Library. (1)
Numbers
2 species in North America.
Range
Cosmopolitan.
Food
Larvae feed on stored grain.
Print References
Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae. (Edn 10) 1: 533
Internet References
live adult image of P. farinalis (UK Moths)
adult illustration of P. manihotalis (taiming.com.cn)
common name reference (Common Names for Florida Lepidoptera)
Works Cited
1.An accentuated list of the British Lepidoptera, with hints on the derivation of the names.
Anonymous. 1858. The Entomological Societies of Oxford and Cambridge.