Nemapogon granella

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European grain moth
Adult from Dresden (Germany)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Tineidae
Genus: Nemapogon
Species:
N. granella
Binomial name
Nemapogon granella
Synonyms

Numerous, see text

Nemapogon granella (European grain worm or European grain moth) is a

junior objective synonyms of Nemapogon.[1]

Ecology and description

This

synanthropic moth has been distributed essentially all over the globe, though many such introduced populations are not stable for long periods of time. Still, it is regularly found in Australia for example, about as far away from its native range as is possible on Earth. The adults are most often seen throughout the summer months, e.g. from March to September in the UK. Naturally, populations associated with humans can be encountered at any time of the year.[3]

Mounted adult specimen from above

This small moth has a wingspan of 10–18 mm. The forewings are irregularly mottled black, white and grey, resembling

cork moth (N. cloacella). They have a row of large black spots on the leading edge, which merge with spots within the wing to form a rough band zigzagging along the length of the forewings. The hindwings are uniformly greyish-brown and surrounded by a fringe of long hairs. On the head, the adults have a tuft of yellowish-white hairs.[4]

The

birch polypore (Piptoporus betulinus). But they have also been found on Serpula lacrymans of the quite unrelated Boletales.[5]

Larvae in association with humans will feed on a variety of dry organic material, such as

bitter almonds (Prunus amygdalus amara) and beeswax, but it is not clear if they refer to this species or the cork moth.[5]

Synonyms

This widespread, often common and partially

Junior synonyms and other obsolete scientific names of the European grain moth are:[6]

Nemapogon domesticella would be the name for the Austrian populations (shown: adult from Graz, Styria), but these moths are not consistently distinct from northern N. granella
  • Nemapogon costotristrigella (Chambers, 1873)
  • Nemapogon costistrigella (lapsus)
  • Nemapogon domesticella (Scopoli, 1763)
  • Nemapogon fascomaculella (lapsus)
  • Nemapogon fenestrella (Scopoli, 1763b) (non Scopoli, 1763a:
    preoccupied
    )
  • Nemapogon fuscicomella (Wörz, 1958)
  • Nemapogon fuscomaculella (Chambers, 1873[verification needed])
  • Nemapogon granellus (lapsus)
  • Nemapogon mancuniella (Hodgkinson, 1880)
  • Nemapogon marmorella (Chambers, 1875[verification needed])
  • Nemapogon nebulosella (Geoffroy in Fourcroy, 1785)
  • Nemapogon granella nigra (Dufrane, 1955)
  • Nemapogon nigroatomella (Dietz, 1905)
  • Nemapogon tesserella (Fabricius, 1794)
  • Phalaena domesticella Scopoli, 1763
  • Phalaena fenestrella
     Scopoli, 1763b (non Scopoli, 1763a: preoccupied)
  • Phalaena (Tinea) granella Linnaeus, 1758
  • Tinea costotristrigella Chambers, 1873
  • Tinea fuscicomella Wörz, 1958
  • Tinea fuscomaculella Chambers, 1873[verification needed]
  • Tinea granella Linnaeus, 1758
  • Tinea granella nigra Dufrane, 1955
  • Tinea mancuniella Hodgkinson, 1880
  • Tinea marmorella Chambers, 1875[verification needed]
  • Tinea nebulosella Geoffroy in Fourcroy, 1785
  • Tinea nigroatomella Dietz, 1905
  • Tinea tesserella Fabricius, 1794

The supposed subspecies nigra form Belgium has turned out to be a chance form, rather than a distinct population.[6]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Pitkin & Jenkins (2004abc), ABRS (2008a)
  2. ^ "European grain moth Nemapogon granella (Linnaeus)". Canadian Grain Commission. 2013.
  3. ^ ABRS (2008b), FE (2009), Kimber [2010]
  4. ^ Kimber [2010]
  5. ^ a b Grabe (1942), Kimber [2010], and see references in Savela (2009)
  6. ^ a b ABRS (2008b), Robinson [2010]

References

External links

American Cyclopædia article Wheat Moth
.
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