Pyralis farinalis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Pyralis farinalis, the meal moth, is a cosmopolitan moth of the family Pyralidae. Its larvae (caterpillars) are pests of certain stored foods, namely milled plant products. It is the type species of the genus Pyralis, and by extension of its entire tribe (Pyralini), subfamily (Pyralinae) and family. Its synanthropic habits were noted even by 18th- and 19th-century naturalists, who described it using terms like domesticalis ("of home and hearth"), fraterna ("as close as a brother"), or the currently-valid farinalis ("of the flour").
At rest, adult moths (imagines) typically hold the tip of their abdomen at 90° to their body. Their upperwings are fairly colourful by moth standards, and have a wingspan of 18–30 mm. Adults fly from June to August. As adults do not live long after mating and eggs hatch quickly, this moth has a quick life cycle and is able to produce multiple generations within a single year.
In Great Britain and some other locations – particularly outside its natural range – it is mostly restricted to anthropogenic habitats of stored grain, e.g. barns and warehouses. However, it has been found in almond orchards among plant detritus and poultry farms among chicken manure.
P. farinalis is a species that is well adapted to living among humans and the urbanization that comes along with them. Though considered a pest to most, since it can decimate grain storages, humans have found uses for the moth. In Chinese culture it is the main ingredient of "insect tea." This drink is popular enough that scientists have been studying the moth's optimum growth conditions so they can possibly cultivate it for commercial use. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 8 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Meal Moth sighting in Cévennes National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 555th most-seen of the 996 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May–June and August–October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Meal Moth in Cévennes National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and November–April, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Meal Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Meal Moth sightings, Cévennes National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Meal Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Cévennes National Park (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
