Mediterranean flour moth

(Ephestia kuehniella)

Biology:

The Mediterranean flour moth (fam. Pyralidae) is very similar to the warehouse moth in terms of colouring, but it is larger (wing span 20 to 25 mm). The caterpillars reach a length of 20 mm. The lifestyle of the Mediterranean flour moth largely corresponds to that of the Indian meal moth and the warehouse moth. It can also hibernate in unheated warehouses and can even survive a few days at -10 °C.

 

Damage:

The Mediterranean flour moth is the main pest in the milling industry and in large bakeries. It generally has the same habitat as the warehouse moth and the Indian meal moth. It is also very flexible when it comes to its diet. In addition to flour, it also affects grist, semolina, pasta, bran, oatmeal, rice, dried baked goods, legumes, grains and more. In mills, it can cause blockages on conveyors and in sieving equipment by spinning lots of webs.