Meatbearer

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Meatbearer
Pyralis.farinalis.7378.jpg

Meatbone ( Pyralis farinalis )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : European borer (Pyralidae)
Subfamily : Pyralinae
Genre : Pyralis
Type : Meatbearer
Scientific name
Pyralis farinalis
( Linnaeus , 1758)

The flour moth ( Pyralis farinalis ) is a butterfly from the family of the moth (Pyralidae), which appears as a storage pest .

features

The moths reach a wingspan of 18 to 30 millimeters (27 mm or 8 to 14 mm forewing length.) The forewing is divided by two whitish transverse lines into three, mostly very characteristic colored fields: a purple-brown to dark brown root field, and an ocher-colored central field with darker areas starting from the outer transverse line and a mostly violet-brown to dark-brown fringing area, often partially lightened light brown or with lighter over-dusting. The inner transverse line is curved outwards, often the arch is slightly broken in the middle. The outer transverse line, on the other hand, has a strong and wide bulge in the middle. It is reinforced at the costal edge and there forms an inwardly convex arc spot. The inner transverse line can also be somewhat thickened at the costal edge. The transverse lines are usually with entire margins, only the bulge of the outer transverse line can be slightly serrated at the bottom of the bay. Between the inner and outer transverse line, several small white spots are usually developed on the costal margin.

The hind wings are whitish gray to gray with two lighter, curved transverse lines.

The head is yellowish, the thorax is purple-brown and the abdomen is alternating purple-red and yellow. The antennae in the males are finely ciliate, the antennae in the females are simple and thread-like.

The egg is elongated oval and gray-white in color. It measures 0.52 ± 0.03 × 0.37 ± 0.02 mm. The surface shows a pronounced irregular network pattern. The raised borders of the fields are strongly folded.

The caterpillars are whitish gray, have a yellowish brown neck plate and a dark brown to reddish brown head with only four ocelli. The adult caterpillar becomes 20 to 25 mm long.

The pupa is yellowish brown with a reddish brown abdomen. Six hook-shaped bristles sit on the cremaster .

Geographical distribution and habitat

The meal borer is distributed almost worldwide through human displacement. The original distribution area can no longer be determined.

The meal borer occurs almost exclusively synanthropically , i. H. in the vicinity of people and their dwellings, especially in mills, bakeries and grain stores, but also in households and in animal stalls where feed is stored. The larvae prefer a moist and warm environment.

Way of life

Pyralis farinalis usually has one or two generations a year; sometimes the development takes two years. Under very favorable conditions (warm and humid conditions), generations are continuously formed; up to five generations per year are possible. The moths usually fly from June to August. They are crepuscular and nocturnal and come to artificial light sources. They are also observed on sugary baits. During the day, the moths rest with slightly spread wings and an upturned abdomen on dark walls and are hardly startled. If the moths are disturbed, they hardly fly up, but quickly run into a new, dark hiding place. The females lay 200 to 500 eggs in small piles near the later caterpillar food. The egg caterpillars hatch after 3 to 5 days. The caterpillars mainly eat grains and grain products, but also dried plant parts such as clover ( trifolium ) and alfalfa ( Medicago ). Even feces and dead animal substances are eaten. It has already been speculated that the larvae also eat mold. They are also found in totally moldy foods. Reports on the isolated infestation of the soil by indoor plants can also be found on the Internet. They often form ghost tubes in the food that are stuck to food residues. The food particles are spun like lumps. Due to the very flexible generation sequence, the caterpillars can therefore appear all year round. Five larval stages are formed. Under favorable circumstances, the development time from hatching to mature larvae is only 42 to 56 days. Pupation takes place in a silk cocoon, which is covered with food particles.

Under optimal breeding conditions (24 ± 2 ° C and 50 ± 5% relative humidity) there was an average generation sequence of around 70 to 76 days (the males usually hatch earlier than the females). The moths live around 10 days, the males usually a few days longer than the females. The females laid an average of 235 eggs. The average development time for the eggs was 9 days.

Systematics

The taxon was first scientifically described by Carl von Linné in 1758 . It is the type species of the genus Pyralis Linné, 1758. Linné gave no place of discovery. The holotype is kept in the collection of the Linnean Society in London.

Harmful effect

The meal borer is generally counted among the stored pests of grains, grain products, flour and flour products. Compared to the dried fruit moth ( Plodia interpunctella ), however, it is only of minor importance.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Carter (1984: pp. 207/8)
  2. ↑ UK moths - website of Ian Kimber ( memento of the original from October 20, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / ukmoths.org.uk
  3. ^ Kaltenbach & Küppers (1987: p. 222)
  4. ↑ a b c Hannemann (1964: p. 244)
  5. ↑ a b Richard T. Arbogast and Richard van Byrd: External morphology of the eggs of the meal moth. Pyralis farinalis (L.), and the murky meal moth, Aglossa caprealis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Journal of Insect Morphology & Embryology, 10 (5/6): 419-423, 1981
  6. ↑ Gerry Wegner: Pest Spotlight: Meal Moths Pyralis farinalis (Order Lepidoptera: Family Pyralidae). Pest Spotlight: Meal Moths Pyralis farinalis (Order Lepidoptera: Family Pyralidae) ( Memento from January 23, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )
  7. ^ Charles E. Curtis and Peter J. Landolt: Development and life history of Pyralis farinalis L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on artificial diet. Journal of stored Products Research, 28 (3): 171-I 77, 1992 doi : 10.1016 / 0022-474X (92) 90037-Q
  8. ↑ https://green-24.de/forum/mehlzuensler-motte-t108118.html#p1295575
  9. ↑ Canadian Grain Commission - Meal Moth Pyralis farinalis
  10. ^ Carl von Linné: Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. 10th edition, Stockholm 1758 Online at SUB Göttingen (description of the species p. 533)
  11. ↑ Slamka (1997: p. 13)

literature

  • David J. Carter: Pest Lepidoptera of Europe with special references to the British Isles. 431 S., Dr. W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht 1984, ISBN 90-6193-504-0 .
  • Karl Eckstein: The butterflies of Germany 5th volume The small butterflies of Germany. 222 p., KG Lutz Verlag, Stuttgart 1933
  • Hans-Joachim Hannemann: Small butterflies or Microlepidoptera II. The moths (sl) (Cochylidae and Carposinidae) The moths (Pyraloidea). In: Friedrich Dahl: The animal world of Germany and the adjacent parts of the sea according to their characteristics and their way of life. Part 50., VEB Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena 1964
  • Thomas Kaltenbach and Peter Victor Küppers: Small butterflies. Verlag J. Neudamm-Neudamm, Melsungen 1987, ISBN 3-7888-0510-2 .
  • František Slamka: The common moth (Pyraloidea) of Central Europe. 2nd Edition. Bratislava 1997, ISBN 80-967540-2-5 .

Web links

Commons : Pyralis farinalis  - album with pictures, videos and audio files