Ephestia

Ephestia is a genus of small moths belonging to the family Pyralidae. Some species are significant pests of dry plant produce, such as seeds and cereals. Best known among these are probably the cacao moth (E. elutella) and the Mediterranean flour moth (E. kuehniella).

Ephestia
Cacao moth (E. elutella)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Pyralidae
Tribe:	Phycitini
Genus:	Ephestia Guenée, 1845[1]
Species
Several, see text
Synonyms
Anagasta Heinrich, 1956 Hyphantidium Scott, 1859

Ephestia kuehniella, larva

The genus Cadra is closely related to Ephestia and might be a junior synonym. Several of these moths are variously assigned to one or the other genus, in particular in non-entomological sources.

Diversity

Species of Ephestia include:^[2][3][4]

• Ephestia abnormalella Ragonot, 1887
• Ephestia animella K.Nupponen & Junnilainen, 1998
• Ephestia callidella Guenée, 1845
• Ephestia calycoptila Meyrick, 1935
• Ephestia columbiella Neunzig, 1990
• Ephestia cypriusella Roesler, 1965
• Ephestia disparella Hampson, 1901
• Ephestia elutella (Hübner, 1796) – cacao moth, tobacco moth, warehouse moth
• Ephestia inquietella Zerny, 1932
• Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller, 1879) – Mediterranean flour moth, Indian flour moth, mill moth
• Ephestia laetella Rebel, 1907
• Ephestia mistralella (Millière, 1874)
• Ephestia parasitella Staudinger, 1859
• Ephestia rectivittella Ragonot, 1901
• Ephestia subelutellum (Ragonot, 1901)
• Ephestia unicolorella Staudinger, 1881
• Ephestia welseriella (Zeller, 1848)