(Ephestia kuehniella)
Biology:
The flour moth (Fam. Pyralidae) is very similar in color to the storage moth. However, it is larger than the latter (wingspan 20-25 mm). The caterpillars reach a length of 20 mm. The way of life of the meal moth also largely corresponds to that of the dried fruit moth and the storage moth. Overwintering is also possible in unheated warehouses, even at -10 °C a few days can be survived.
Damage:
The flour moth is the main pest of flour mills and industrial bakeries. It generally has the same habitat as the storage and dried fruit moths. It is also similarly flexible in its choice of food. In addition to flour, it attacks meal, semolina, pasta, bran, oat flakes, rice, dry baked goods, pulses, cereals and other products. In mills, the very strong web formation can lead to blockages in conveying and sieving equipment.
