# Meal moth

*Pyralis farinalis*

When at rest, the meal moth curves the tip of its abdomen upwards at a sharp angle, a distinctive posture that makes it look like a tiny piece of debris.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Pyralidae › Pyralis
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** urban
- **Habitat:** Granaries, flour mills, pantries, barns, and other human structures containing stored grains.
- **Diet:** Larvae feed on flour, grain, bran, meal, and dried fruit; adults do not feed.
- **Range:** North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia
- **Size:** Wingspan of 18 to 30 mm.
- **Lifespan:** 1 to 2 weeks as adults; up to 8 weeks for the entire life cycle.
- **Active:** nocturnal
- **Threats:** Pest control, insecticides, and modern airtight food storage technologies.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to humans. They do not bite, sting, or carry diseases. If encountered in your home, they indicate a potential pantry infestation. Inspect dry goods, discard contaminated food, and store grains in airtight containers.

## About

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.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/54354120-304a-4051-995a-c5d013a2ade7
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/199870
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyralis farinalis
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/42813485/medium.jpg (Christian Kahle, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.