Grease moth
| Aglossa cuprina | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Pyralidae |
| Genus: | Aglossa |
| Species: | A. cuprina |
| Binomial name | |
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Aglossa cuprina (Zeller, 1872) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The similar scavenger species Aglossa cuprina, formerly misidentified as Aglossa pinguinalis, is most commonly known as the "grease moth". It belongs to the lepidopteran family, Pyralidae, (the snout moths). The grease moth is closely related to the genus Pyralis, and as a result, is usually associated with the meal moth, Pyralis farinalis.
For the past 150 years, Aglossa cuprina has been best known for ingesting the grease produced by the bacteria that feed on decaying matter, an activity that earned it the common name of "grease moth".
A. cuprina was named by the German entomologist Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1872. The specific epithet of A. pinguinalis, its other binomial name, is derived from the Latin "pinguinalis" (greasy).
The egg A. cuprina is of a rounded oval shape, off-white. During the larval stage, A. cuprina has a brownish head and greyish body. The A. cuprina larvae also have black mandibles and a black peritreme (part of the integument of an insect which surrounds the spiracles). They can be distinguished from the A. cuprealis larvae by setal differences. The pupae are reddish-brown with six curved, hooked setae.
The moth has a wingspan that averages about an inch and a half, and exhibits an overall dark, greyish-brown color. While the forewings are brownish-grey with pale yellowish markings (much like those of a tabby cat, 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 antennae.
A. cuprina has been found in places worldwide including 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, 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.
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Wikipedia