Ephestia elutella

Cacao moth
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Pyralidae
Tribe:	Phycitini
Genus:	Ephestia
Species:	E. elutella
Binomial name
	Ephestia elutella; (Hübner, 1796)
Synonyms
	Numerous, see text

Caterpillars

Ephestia elutella, the cacao moth, tobacco moth or warehouse moth, is a small moth of the family Pyralidae. It is probably native to Europe, but has been transported widely, even to Australia. A subspecies is E. e. pterogrisella.

The wingspan is 14–20 mm. This moth flies throughout the warmer months, e.g. from the end of April to October in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The caterpillars are often considered a pest, as they feed on dry plant produce, such as cocoa beans and tobacco, as well as cereals and dried fruit and nuts. Less usual foods include^[1] dried-out meat and animal carcasses, specimens in insect collections, and dry wood.

This species has been known under a number of junior synonyms:^[2]

Ephestia amarella Dyar, 1904
Ephestia icosiella Ragonot, 1888
Ephestia infumatella Ragonot, 1887
Ephestia roxburghi (lapsus)
Ephestia roxburghii Gregson, 1873
Ephestia roxburgii (lapsus)
Ephestia uniformata Dufrane, 1942 (variety)
Homoeosoma affusella Ragonot, 1888
Hyphantidium sericarium Scott, 1859
Phycis angusta (Haworth, 1811)
Phycis elutea Haworth, 1811; (unjustified emendation)
Phycis rufa Haworth, 1811
Phycis semirufa Haworth, 1811
Tinea elutella Hübner, 1796

Footnotes[]

^ Grabe (1942)
^ See references in Savela (2009)

References[]

Grabe, Albert (1942). "Eigenartige Geschmacksrichtungen bei Kleinschmetterlingsraupen" [Strange tastes among micromoth caterpillars] (PDF). Zeitschrift des Wiener Entomologen-Vereins (in German). 27: 105–109.
Savela, Markku. "Ephestia Guenée, 1845". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved July 18, 2017.

External links[]

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[1] Grabe (1942)

[2] See references in Savela (2009)

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