Angoumois grain moth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Angoumois grain moth |
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| Adult on a maize ear | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
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| Order: | |
| Family: |
Gelechiidae
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| Genus: |
Sitotroga
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| Species: |
S. cerealella
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| Binomial name | |
| Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier, 1789)
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| Synonyms | |
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Numerous, see text |
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The Angoumois grain moth (Sitotroga cerealella) is a small moth that loves to eat grain. It's part of a group of moths called "twirler moths." This moth is found almost everywhere in the world. You can find it in Europe, Australia, China, Japan, and the United States. It spreads easily because it travels with international shipments of grain.
The moth gets its name from Angoumois, a region in France. A scientist named G.-A. Olivier first described it there in 1789. However, the moth did not originally come from western France.
About the Angoumois Grain Moth
What Does It Look Like?
Adult Angoumois grain moths are quite small. Their wingspan (how wide they are with their wings spread) is about 13 to 20 millimeters. That's roughly the size of a small coin!
What Do They Eat?
The young moths, called caterpillars, are the ones that cause trouble. They feed on many types of grains. This includes rice, pearl millet, sorghum, wheat, and maize (corn).
The caterpillars bore into the seeds of these plants. They then eat the inside of the seed. Because of this, the Angoumois grain moth is known as a pest of stored cereals. This means they can damage food supplies kept in storage. Sometimes, these caterpillars also eat other dry plant materials. This includes plant samples kept in special collections called herbaria.
Why Are They a Pest?
The Angoumois grain moth is a big problem for farmers and anyone storing grain. When the caterpillars eat the grain, they make it unusable. This can lead to a lot of wasted food. It also causes economic losses for farmers. Keeping grain safe from these moths is very important.
Synonyms
Scientists sometimes give different names to the same creature. The Angoumois grain moth has had many names over time. These are called junior synonyms. Some of its past scientific names include Alucita cerealella and Gelechia cerealella.
Images for kids
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An Angoumois grain moth larva
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A bowl of bird seeds that can vector Angoumois grain moth
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Household stored short-grain rice that can vector Angoumois grain moth
See also
In Spanish: Sitotroga cerealella para niños
