''Aglossa cuprina'', the grease moth, is a

snout moth The Pyralidae, commonly called pyralid moths, snout moths or grass moths, are a family (biology), family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian Taxonomic rank, superfamily Pyraloidea. In many (particularly older) classifications, the grass moths (Cramb ...

, family Pyralidae, described by

Philipp Christoph Zeller Philipp Christoph Zeller (8 April 1808 – 27 March 1883) was a German entomologist. Zeller was born at Steinheim an der Murr, Württemberg, two miles from Marbach, the birthplace of Schiller. The family moved to Frankfurt (Oder) where Ph ...

in 1872. The grease moth is closely related to the genus '' Pyralis'', and as a result, is usually associated with the meal moth, '' Pyralis farinalis''. ''Aglossa cuprina'' ingests grease produced by the bacteria that feed on decaying matter.

Taxonomy

''A. cuprina'' was named by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

entomologist

in 1872. The specific epithet, ''A. pinguinalis'', its other binomial name, is derived from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, ''pinguinalis'' (greasy).

Description

The egg of ''A. cuprina'' is an off white rounded oval. During the larval stage, ''A. cuprina'' has a brownish head and greyish body. The ''A. cuprina''

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e also have black mandibles and a black peritreme (part of the integument of an insect which surrounds the spiracles). They can be distinguished from '' A. caprealis'' larvae by setal differences. The pupae are reddish brown with six curved, hooked setae. The moth has a wingspan that averages about 1.8–2.7 cm (18–27 mm), and exhibits an overall dark, greyish-brown colour. While the forewings are brownish grey with pale yellowish markings (much like those of a

tabby cat A tabby cat, or simply tabby, is any domestic cat (''Felis catus'') with a Cat_coat_genetics#Tabbies , coat pattern distinguished by an M-shaped marking on its forehead, stripes by its eyes and across its cheeks, along its back, around its leg ...

, hence the lesser-used common name), the top of the head and neck are simply pale yellow. ''A. cuprina'' is also known for its filiform (thread-like) antennae.

Distribution

''A. cuprina'' has been found in Europe, Asia, Australia, North America and South America. ''A. cuprina'' is distributed throughout eastern North America and sightings have been recorded in California, Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. The moth stage is generally found in early summer between the months of May and August. They tend to inhabit areas around or in human habitation and buildings. When found in homes, they are generally found in the kitchen and more specifically in the pantry where their choice food source is stored. They are also commonly found in areas where dried grain products are stored, for example, warehouses and areas of grain elevators that remain undisturbed.

Behaviour

''Aglossa cuprina'' has similar feeding habits to those of the grains moths. The larval stages feed primarily on dried grain based products including corn meal,

whole wheat flour Whole-wheat flour (in the US) or wholemeal flour (in the UK) is a powdery substance, a basic food ingredient, derived by grinding or mashing the whole grain of wheat, also known as the wheatberry. Whole-wheat flour is used in baking of breads ...

graham flour Graham flour is a type of coarse-ground flour of whole wheat named after Sylvester Graham. It is similar to conventional whole-wheat flour in that both are made from the whole grain, but graham flour is ground more coarsely. It is not sifted ...

granola Granola is a food consisting of rolled oats, nuts, seeds, honey or other sweeteners such as brown sugar, and sometimes puffed rice, that is usually baked until crisp, toasted and golden brown. The mixture is stirred while baking to avoid b ...

, and dried

oat The oat (''Avena sativa''), sometimes called the common oat, is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name (usually in the plural). Oats appear to have been domesticated as a secondary crop, as their seeds ...

s. The adults feed on butter,

suet Suet ( ) is the raw, hard fat of beef, lamb or mutton found around the loins and kidneys. Suet has a melting point of between and solidification (or congelation) between . Its high smoke point makes it ideal for deep frying and pastr ...

and grease, and have even been found in excrement. They have been known to feed on dried remains of other insects as well. The adults fly at dusk between June and July. They hide in dark corners during the day and can be found in stables, outhouses, barns, warehouses, and cellars. They are also attracted to light and sugar.

Forensic importance

''A. cuprina'' is often involved in stored product entomology. Stored product entomologists often advise producers on ways to reduce the chances of insect infestation and thus remain under food defect action levels. ''A. cuprina'' is a common aspect of stored product entomology due to its

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...

s' feeding habits. Grease moth larvae infest dried grain products and as it feeds it produces a silken substance that intertwines with the surrounding product. With substantial infestations, the larvae will spread throughout the product and with them spread their silk rendering the product unsellable. Most infestations occur in products that are stored for long periods of time in storage facilities. In addition to stored product entomology, recently evidence suggests that ''A. cuprina'' may soon play a role in

forensic entomology Forensic entomology is a branch of applied entomology that uses insects and other arthropods as a basis for legal evidence. Insects may be found on cadavers or elsewhere around crime scenes in the interest of forensic science. Forensic entom ...

. ''A. cuprina'' was recently found feeding on the greasy remains of a deceased individual. The use of ''A. cuprina'' as an insect of significant forensic importance is still being researched.

Life Sycle

Research on the species' life cycle has yet to be completed, but it has been shown to have a similar life cycle to that of '' Aglossa caprealis''. ''A. caprealis'' lays an average of 60–300 eggs during a single reproductive cycle. The eggs are commonly laid on overhanging supports. The time it takes for the eggs to hatch is temperature dependent and take between 2–14 days to hatch. Once the eggs have hatched, the larval stage will last 2–41 weeks before pupating. The larval stage prefers to live in dark secluded environments, and creates flexible tubular galleries. The galleries are supported by silken fibres produced by the larvae. Prior to pupation, the larvae leave their galleries and disperse to a suitable location. They entangle themselves with a loose, tough silken cover that they interweave with nearby material. The nearby materials provide structure to the silken covering and

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

the moth while it undergoes metamorphosis. The duration spent in each stage of development is temperature dependent. The life cycle of ''A. cuprina'' has been recorded to range from approximately twelve months to over two years depending on weather and temperature conditions. The

imago In biology, the imago (Latin for "image") is the last stage an insect attains during its metamorphosis, its process of growth and development; it is also called the ''imaginal'' stage ("imaginal" being "imago" in adjective form), the stage in wh ...

, adult insect, stage emerges in early summer.

Conservation Status

NatureServe Status

Global Status: G4G5 Global Status (Rounded): G4 Global Status Last Reviewed: 2/4/2004