Warehouse-moth
Guides
Ephestia
Flour-moths, cacao moth, Mediterranean flour moth
Ephestia is a genus of small moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. Several species are economically significant pests of stored dry plant products, particularly seeds and cereals. The genus includes the well-known cacao moth (E. elutella) and Mediterranean flour moth (E. kuehniella). Ephestia kuehniella was historically important in early developmental genetics research, contributing to the formulation of the one gene-one enzyme hypothesis. The genus Cadra is closely related and may be a junior synonym, with some species variously assigned to either genus.