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Species Ephestia kuehniella - Mediterranean Flour Moth - Hodges#6020

Representative Images

6020 Mediterranean Flour Moth ??? - Ephestia kuehniella Unknown moth - Ephestia kuehniella Unknown moth - Ephestia kuehniella Mediterranean Flour Moth - Ephestia kuehniella Mediterranean Flour Moth (Ephestia kuehniella) - Ephestia kuehniella Ephestia kuehniella Ephestia kuehniella Mediterranean Flour Moth - Ephestia kuehniella
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 Phycitinae
Tribe Phycitini
No Taxon (Ephestia Series)
Genus Ephestia
Species kuehniella (Mediterranean Flour Moth - Hodges#6020 )

Hodges Number

6020

Other Common Names

Indian Flour Moth or Mill Moth

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller, 1879)

Explanation of Names

Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller, 1879)

Size

Adult: up to 12 mm long. Wingspan between 16-20 mm.
Caterpillar: about 12 mm long when mature.

Identification

Adult moth: pale gray with dark bands. Caterpillar: off-white with a darker head.

Life Cycle

This moth secretes a pheromone from their mandibular glands that triggers dispersal of the larvae and deters egg-laying females.(1)

Remarks

Introduced from the Mediterranean. Pest of stored goods.
Their mandibular secretions affect individual dispersion, lengthens generation time of developing individuals, and lowers female fecundity crowded as larvae.(2)

Internet References

MPG
Wikipedia

Works Cited

1.Insect-Plant Biology
L.M. Schoonhoven, T. Jermy, and J.J.A. Van Loon. 1998. Chapman and Hall.
2.Insect Behavior
Robert W. Matthews and Janice R. Matthews. 1988. Robert E. Krieger Publishing Co.
Contributed by tom murray on 26 September, 2009 - 10:03pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Tony-2, Marci Hess, PaleoJon
Last updated 12 October, 2023 - 12:08pm

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