Nemapogon granella
Encyclopedia
The European Grain Moth (Nemapogon granella) is a species
of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family
(Tineidae), and therein to the subfamily Nemapogoninae. It is the type species
of its genus
Nemapogon
, and via that also of the subfamily Nemapogoninae. It is also the type species of the proposed genera Brosis (as established by J. Hübner
, a junior homonym and thus invalid) and Diaphthirusa, which are consequently junior objective synonyms of Nemapogon.
ranges widely across western Eurasia
. However, even in its native range its distribution is somewhat patchy; in the UK for example, it is widespread, but may still be locally absent. It has not been recorded from France
and Slovenia
, but this may simply be due to its being overlooked or confused with similar species than being genuinely absent, as it is found in the neighboring countries. Its apparent absence from Iceland
, on the other hand, is more likely genuine. But this synanthropic moth has been distributed essentially all over the globe, though many such introduced population
s are not stable for long periods of time. Still, it is regularly found in Australia
for example, about as far away from its native range as is possible on Earth
. The adults are most often seen throughout the summer months, e.g. from March to September in the UK. Naturally, populations associated with humans can be encountered at any time of the year.
This small moth has a wingspan of 10–18 mm. The forewings are irregularly mottled black, white and grey, resembling congener
s such as the Cork Moth (N. cloacella). They have a row of large black spoths on the leading edge, which merge with spots within the wing to form a rough band zigzagging along the length of the forewings. The hindwings are uniformly greyish-brown and surrounded by a fringe of long hairs. On the head, the adults have a tuft of yellowish-white hairs.
The caterpillar
larva
e eat rotting wood in the wild, though they prefer bracket fungi, usually Polyporales
. Their mainstay food included Polyporaceae
such as Sulphur Polypore (Laetiporus sulphureus), Dryad's Saddle (Polyporus squamosus) or Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor), as well as Fomitopsidaceae
, e.g. Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus). But they have also been found on Serpula lacrymans
of the quite unrelated Boletales
.
Larvae in association with humans will feed on a variety of dry organic material, such as dried fruit
(e.g.bilberries, Vaccinium) and mushroom
s, cereal
and legume seeds, flour
, Topinambur (Helianthus tuberosus) stalks, and even cork (e.g. cork
s of wine and champagne bottles) and the ergot
fungus Claviceps purpurea
. Further records have been claimed from Capsicum annuum
fruit, poppyseed (Papaver somniferum), bitter almonds (Prunus amygdalus amara) and beeswax
, but it is not clear if they refer to this species or the Cork Moth.
has been described times and again under a variety of scientific names, all now obsolete. In addition, it has been affected by the common problem of Nemapogon
, namely uncertainty whether their specific names were of male and female gender, ending in -us or -a. Junior synonyms and other obsolete scientific names of the European Grain Moth are:
The supposed subspecies nigra form Belgium
has turned out to be a chance form, rather than a distinct population.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
(Tineidae), and therein to the subfamily Nemapogoninae. It is the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of its genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Nemapogon
Nemapogon
Nemapogon is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Nemapogoninae. As evident by its name, it is the type genus of its subfamily and family.-Species:As of 2007, 69 species of Nemapogon had been described...
, and via that also of the subfamily Nemapogoninae. It is also the type species of the proposed genera Brosis (as established by J. Hübner
Jacob Hübner
Jacob Hübner was a German entomologist. He was the author of Sammlung Europäischer Schmetterlinge , a founding work of entomology.-Scientific career:...
, a junior homonym and thus invalid) and Diaphthirusa, which are consequently junior objective synonyms of Nemapogon.
Ecology and description
This mothMoth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
ranges widely across western Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
. However, even in its native range its distribution is somewhat patchy; in the UK for example, it is widespread, but may still be locally absent. It has not been recorded from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, but this may simply be due to its being overlooked or confused with similar species than being genuinely absent, as it is found in the neighboring countries. Its apparent absence from Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, on the other hand, is more likely genuine. But this synanthropic moth has been distributed essentially all over the globe, though many such introduced population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
s are not stable for long periods of time. Still, it is regularly found in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for example, about as far away from its native range as is possible on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. The adults are most often seen throughout the summer months, e.g. from March to September in the UK. Naturally, populations associated with humans can be encountered at any time of the year.
This small moth has a wingspan of 10–18 mm. The forewings are irregularly mottled black, white and grey, resembling congener
Congener
Congener has several different meanings depending on the field in which it is used. Colloquially, it is used to mean a person or thing like another, in character or action.-Biology:In biology, congeners are organisms within the same genus...
s such as the Cork Moth (N. cloacella). They have a row of large black spoths on the leading edge, which merge with spots within the wing to form a rough band zigzagging along the length of the forewings. The hindwings are uniformly greyish-brown and surrounded by a fringe of long hairs. On the head, the adults have a tuft of yellowish-white hairs.
The caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e eat rotting wood in the wild, though they prefer bracket fungi, usually Polyporales
Polyporales
The Polyporales are an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. The order includes some polypores as well as many corticioid fungi and a few agarics . Species within the order are saprotrophic, most of them wood-rotters...
. Their mainstay food included Polyporaceae
Polyporaceae
The Polyporaceae are a family of bracket fungi belonging to the Basidiomycota. The flesh of their fruiting bodies varies from soft to very tough. Most members of this family have their hymenium in vertical pores on the underside of the caps, but some of them have gills The Polyporaceae are a...
such as Sulphur Polypore (Laetiporus sulphureus), Dryad's Saddle (Polyporus squamosus) or Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor), as well as Fomitopsidaceae
Fomitopsidaceae
The Fomitopsidaceae are a family of fungi in the order Polyporales. Most species are parasitic on woody plants, and tend to cause brown rots.-Genera:Amylocystis —Antrodia —Auriporia —Buglossoporus —Climacocystis —Dacryobolus —...
, e.g. Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus). But they have also been found on Serpula lacrymans
Serpula lacrymans
Serpula lacrymans is one of the fungi that are responsible for dry rot. It is a basidiomycete in the order Boletales.-Taxonomy:The species was first described under the name Boletus lacrymans by Franz Xavier von Wulfen in 1781...
of the quite unrelated Boletales
Boletales
The Boletales are an order of Agaricomycetes, containing over 1300 species with a diverse array of fruiting body types. The boletes are the best known members of this group, and until recently, the Boletales were thought to only contain boletes...
.
Larvae in association with humans will feed on a variety of dry organic material, such as dried fruit
Dried fruit
Dried fruit is fruit where the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to the fourth millennium BC in Mesopotamia, and is prized...
(e.g.bilberries, Vaccinium) and mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s, cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
and legume seeds, flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
, Topinambur (Helianthus tuberosus) stalks, and even cork (e.g. cork
Stopper (plug)
A bung is truncated cylindrical or conical closure to seal a container, such as a bottle, tube or barrel. Unlike a lid which encloses a container from the outside without displacing the inner volume, a bung is partially inserted inside the container to act as a seal...
s of wine and champagne bottles) and the ergot
Ergot
Ergot or ergot fungi refers to a group of fungi of the genus Claviceps. The most prominent member of this group is Claviceps purpurea. This fungus grows on rye and related plants, and produces alkaloids that can cause ergotism in humans and other mammals who consume grains contaminated with its...
fungus Claviceps purpurea
Claviceps purpurea
Claviceps purpurea is a fungus that grows on the ears of rye and related cereal and forage plants. Consumption of grains or seeds contaminated with the fruiting structure of this fungus, the ergot sclerotium, can cause ergotism in humans and other mammals.. C...
. Further records have been claimed from Capsicum annuum
Capsicum annuum
Capsicum annuum is a domesticated species of the plant genus Capsicum native to southern North America and northern South America. The three species C. annuum, C. frutescens and C. chinense all evolved from a single common ancestor located somewhere in the northwest Brazil - Colombia area...
fruit, poppyseed (Papaver somniferum), bitter almonds (Prunus amygdalus amara) and beeswax
Beeswax
Beeswax is a natural wax produced in the bee hive of honey bees of the genus Apis. It is mainly esters of fatty acids and various long chain alcohols...
, but it is not clear if they refer to this species or the Cork Moth.
Synonyms
This widespread, often common and partially synanthropic speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
has been described times and again under a variety of scientific names, all now obsolete. In addition, it has been affected by the common problem of Nemapogon
Nemapogon
Nemapogon is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Nemapogoninae. As evident by its name, it is the type genus of its subfamily and family.-Species:As of 2007, 69 species of Nemapogon had been described...
, namely uncertainty whether their specific names were of male and female gender, ending in -us or -a. Junior synonyms and other obsolete scientific names of the European Grain Moth are:
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
has turned out to be a chance form, rather than a distinct population.