Apomyelois

Habitat varies substantially by species. Apomyelois bistriatella occupies heathy woodland locations with young birch and burnt gorse, where larvae develop within fungal fruiting bodies. Apomyelois ceratoniae is associated with agricultural systems, infesting stored carob, pomegranate, and citrus products. Other species occupy intermediate or poorly documented habitats.

A. bistriatella has a circumpolar distribution across North America and northern Eurasia, from the British Isles west to Hokkaido east, with scattered populations in the British Isles. Distribution records for the genus include Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Vermont (USA). Distribution of other species is insufficiently documented.

A. bistriatella adults fly from May through September, with larval feeding occurring August through October, followed by overwintering and pupation in May. Seasonality of other species is poorly documented.

Larvae of A. bistriatella feed internally within fungal fruiting bodies, specifically Daldinia concentrica in the British Isles and Hypoxylon fungi in North America. A. ceratoniae feeds on carob, pomegranate, and citrus. Diet of remaining species is unknown.

• Daldinia concentrica - larval food sourceBritish Isles populations of A. bistriatella
• Hypoxylon fungi - larval food sourceNorth American populations of A. bistriatella
• Ulex europaeus - habitat indicatorburnt gorse associated with A. bistriatella colonies
• Betula - habitat indicatoryoung birches associated with A. bistriatella colonies
• carob (Ceratonia siliqua) - larval food sourceA. ceratoniae; also stored products
• pomegranate (Punica granatum) - larval food sourceA. ceratoniae
• citrus - larval food sourceA. ceratoniae
• date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) - larval food sourceA. ceratoniae; inferred from common name

A. bistriatella: larvae feed August-October, overwinter in dead wood or fungus, pupate in May. A. ceratoniae: fifth instar larvae enter facultative diapause as winter approaches, induced by short photoperiod and low temperature. Life cycles of other species are unknown.

A. bistriatella adults are nocturnal, resting by day on tree trunks with head raised away from body and forewing tips pressed against the substrate. Colonies are ephemeral and relocate according to availability of young birch and burnt gorse. A. ceratoniae exhibits high cold hardiness with supercooling points around -18°C; winter mortality is primarily from predation (56%) rather than cold temperatures.

A. ceratoniae functions as a pest species causing economic damage to stored products and fruit crops. A. bistriatella appears to be a specialized decomposer, with larvae consuming fungal tissue. The genus serves as host for microsporidian pathogens including Nosema fumiferanae.

A. ceratoniae (carob moth, date moth) is an economically significant pest of stored carob, pomegranate, citrus, and dates, requiring pest management in agricultural and post-harvest systems. A. bistriatella has no documented economic impact.

• DidiaFormerly included A. striatella, which has been transferred to Didia
• EctomyeloisTaxonomic synonymy disputed; some authorities place A. ceratoniae in Ectomyelois, others treat Ectomyelois as synonym of Apomyelois

• Pyralidae
• Phycitinae
• fungus-feeding
• agricultural pest
• stored product pest
• diapause
• cold hardiness
• circumpolar
• taxonomic dispute
• microsporidian host

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• Overwintering biology of the carob mothApomyelois ceratoniae(Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
• A new isolate ofNosema fumiferanae(Microsporidia: Nosematidae) from the date mothApomyelois(Ectomyelois)ceratoniae, Zeller, 1839 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
• The genome sequence of the Heath Knot-horn, Apomyelois bistriatella (Hulst, 1887).