Pyralis farinalis

Pyralis farinalis, the meal moth, is a cosmopolitan moth of the family Pyralidae. Its larvae (caterpillars) are pests of certain stored foods, namely milled plant products. It is the type species of the genus Pyralis, and by extension of its entire tribe (Pyralini), subfamily (Pyralinae) and family. Its synanthropic habits were noted even by 18th- and 19th-century naturalists, who described it using terms like domesticalis ('of home and hearth'), fraterna ('as close as a brother'), or the currently-valid farinalis ('of the flour'). At rest, adult moths (imagines) typically hold the tip of their abdomen at 90° to their body. Their upperwings are fairly colourful by moth standards, and have a wingspan of 18–30 mm. Adults fly from June to August. Adults do not live long after mating and eggs hatch quickly, which leads this moth to have a quick life cycle and be able to produce multiple generations within a single year. In Great Britain and some other locations – particularly outside its natural range – it is mostly restricted to anthropogenic habitats of stored grain, e.g. barns and warehouses. However, it has been found in almond orchards among plant detritus and poultry farms among chicken manure. P. farinalis is a species that is well adapted to living among humans and the urbanization that comes along with them. Though considered a pest to most since it can decimate grain storages, humans have found a use for this pesky moth. In Chinese culture it is the main ingredient of 'insect tea.' This drink is popular enough that scientists have been studying the moth's optimum growth conditions so they can possibly cultivate it for commercial use. Pyralis farinalis has been described as a 'cosmopolitan' species, which means its range extends across most of the world. It is found all across the United States, but is mostly found along the eastern coast. This moth is most commonly seen in the Northeastern region. It is also found in Great Britain in the Falkland Islands and in China. P. farinalis is typically found in silos or other grain storage buildings where the grain is stored poorly and moisture is able to infiltrate the grain supply. Places where refuse vegetable matter is able to accumulate are more likely to house P. farinalis than grain storage buildings where the environment is clean and dry. P. farinalis prefers to live in detritus and has been found in non-urban areas in almond orchards. Meal moths can live in various habitats of damp, moist plant debris, but also even in poultry manure. As caterpillars, P. farinalis subsists mostly on cereals, but will also feed upon other types of grain and vegetables, such as potatoes. The meal moth's larvae are also interesting because they feed on all parts of the grain plant and do not seem to have any preference for one part of another. The larvae are equally likely to eat a cereal plant's seed, bran, husk, or straw.