Aglossa pinguinalis

Aglossa pinguinalis Linnaeus, 1758)
(one synonym: Aglossa cuprina Zeller, 1872)
Grease Moth orr Large Tabby
PYRALINI , PYRALINAE , PYRALIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

(Photo: courtesy of Wikipedia)

These Caterpillars are a pest in commercial and domestic situations. They are dark grey with sparse hairs and black mandibles. They have been found feeding on :

grain and grain products,

dung.

They spin silken web through their foodtuff, making commercial materials unsaleable.

The adult moths have brown or grey forewings with a pattern including a number of dark marks along the costa. The hindwings are plain pale brown or grey. The wingspan is about 4 cms.

The adults feed on grease in a variety of situations, such as:

Butter, and

Corpses.

The eggs are oval and white.

The species occurs worldwide, including :

France,

U.K.,

U.S.A.,
as well as in Australia in

Tasmania.