Pyralis farinalis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Meal Moth sighting in Hamburg on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 364th most-seen of the 423 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Meal Moth in Hamburg on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, 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.
60th of 72
Of the 72 cities where we can rate Meal Moth sightings, Hamburg ranks 60th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kharkiv (Ukraine, about 20%), Valencia (Spain, about 20%) and Ankara (Turkey, about 20%).
Same family: Pyralidae
The closest relatives of the Meal Moth that you can see in Hamburg (family Pyralidae, Pyralid Snout Moths) are Bee Moth (about 10%) and Indian-Meal Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Meal Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Hamburg (5 verified sightings), 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.
