flour moth

flour moth

▪ insect
also called  Mediterranean Flour Moth 

      species of moth in the subfamily Phycitinae (family Pyralidae, order Lepidoptera) that is a cosmopolitan pest of cereal products and other stored foods. Sometimes also called Anagasta kuehniella, the flour moth requires vitamins A and B and the larvae cannot live on pure starch. Larvae spin a web in flour, grain, or seeds, causing problems in milling or sorting. After the small, white maggotlike larvae grow to a length of nearly 2 cm (0.7 inch), they crawl into a crevice to pupate. Because they do not disperse, infestations tend to persist in contaminated warehouses. The adult moths have gray mottled forewings, with a span of about 3 cm (1.2 inches), and pale hind wings. The moths shun light and fly in brief zigzags. Each female flour moth lays 200 to 500 eggs, producing as many as four generations per year, or more in warmer environments.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • flour moth — noun : mediterranean flour moth * * * flour moth noun A moth whose larvae feed on flour and grain • • • Main Entry: ↑flour * * * flour moth, a small, grayish black moth whose larvae feed on flour, found in many parts of the world, especially in… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Mediterranean Flour Moth — Conservation status Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1) Scientific classification …   Wikipedia

  • Mediterranean flour moth — noun small moth whose larvae damage stored grain and flour • Syn: ↑Anagasta kuehniella • Hypernyms: ↑pyralid, ↑pyralid moth • Member Holonyms: ↑Anagasta, ↑genus Anagasta * * * …   Useful english dictionary

  • Mediterranean flour moth — n. a small, gray moth (Ephestia kuehniella) whose larvae are serious pests in flour …   English World dictionary

  • Mediterranean flour moth — Med′iterra′nean flour′ moth n. ent a small cosmopolitan moth, Anagasta kuehniella, whose larvae damage stored foodstuffs • Etymology: 1890–95 …   From formal English to slang

  • Mediterranean flour moth — a small cosmopolitan moth, Anagasta kuehniella, whose larvae damage stored foodstuffs, as grain and flour. [1890 95, Amer.] * * * …   Universalium

  • Mediterranean flour moth — noun Date: 1895 a small largely gray and black nearly cosmopolitan pyralid moth (Anagasta kuehniella) whose larva destroys processed grain products …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Mediterranean flour moth — noun A type of moth that feeds on grain, taxonomic name Ephestia kuehniella …   Wiktionary

  • flour worm — noun : the larva of any of various insects that breed in flour or meal; especially : the larva of the Mediterranean flour moth …   Useful english dictionary

  • Moth — For other uses, see Moth (disambiguation) and Moths (disambiguation). Moths Emperor Gum Moth, Opodiphthera eucalypti Scientific classification …   Wikipedia

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