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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Pyralidae 80a0667 – 5510   Pyralis farinalis (Linnaeus, 1758)              Meal Moth

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Larva and Host Plants: Host familiy: Alliaceae[Liliaceae] Amaryllidaceae[Liliaceae] Bromeliaceae Fabaceae Liliaceae Musaceae Poaceae Zing..  Host genera: Allium Alpinia Musa Narcissus Tillandsia Trifolium Triticum Zea Agaricus[Fungi] Detritophagous[omniv...  Host extended: damp vegetable matter, hay, stored grain, bumblebee & bird nest (Powell & Opler 2009); stored grain ...  (Kimberley & Douglas 2025) Similar Species: Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: farinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Phalaena) - MONA 1983: 5510 domesticalis (Zeller, 1847) (Asopia) erecta (Fourcroy, 1785) (Phalaena) farinatus (Haworth, 1803) (Crambus) fraterna Butler, 1879 (Pyralis) infumata Rebel, 1940 (Pyralis) marianii Hartig, 1951 (Pyralis) meridionalis Schmidt, 1934 (Pyralis) orientalis Amsel, 1961 (Pyralis) sardoplumbea Schawerda, 1936 (Pyralis) tenerifensis Rebel, 1906 (Pyralis)

References (Caution: DNA barcoding at BOLD provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced.)

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Identifications often erroneous; DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; many specimens not sequenced. Linnaeus, C., 1758. Systema Naturae, 10th ed. (251): 533. Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America, Pl. 24.47m; p. 184. Book Review and ordering Shropshire, K.J. & D.W. Tallamy, 2025. Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. ZooKeys, 1261: 101-113; Suppl. 1. (PDF or read online) Species Page at Block Island Moths Species Page at BugGuide.Net Species Page at Mass Moths Species Page at iNaturalist Species page at Moths of North Dakota.

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