Mediterranean Flour Moth (Ephestia kuehniella)
Biology: The Mediterranean flour moth is coloured very like the cacao moth, but is somewhat larger (wingspan 20-25 mm). The caterpillars reach a length of 20 mm. The habitus of the Mediterranean flour moth is also generally similar to that of the Indian meal moth and cacao moth.
Damage: The Mediterranean flour moth is the principle pest of flour mills and large-scale bakery operations. Its geographical distributions is practically the same as that of the cacao and Indian meal moths. This species also shows a similarly flexible range of feeding tastes. Besides flour, the products infested include coarse meal, semolina, noodles, bran, oat flakes, rice, dry baked goods, beans and cereal grains, etc. In milling operations, the cocoons may be so numerous as to clog conveyor and sieving equipment.