Ephestia

Ephestia is a genus of small moths in the family Pyralidae, commonly known as snout moths, within the order Lepidoptera. The genus is cosmopolitan and includes several species that occupy human-made habitats, especially facilities handling stored foods. Notable species include Ephestia kuehniella and Ephestia elutella, which are widely recognized as pests of cereals, flour, seeds, dried fruits, and nuts. Adults are slender moths with elongated wings, typically resting with wings folded over the body; wingspan generally in the range of about 12 to 20 millimeters.

The larvae are the primary pests, feeding on a broad spectrum of stored products and often introducing webbing, frass, and contamination into infested lots. They may bore into packaging and become distributed through supply chains. The life cycle is complete metamorphosis: eggs laid on or near food; larvae emerge and feed; pupation occurs in silk cocoons, usually on or close to the food source; adults emerge after a period that depends on temperature.

In warm storage environments multiple generations per year are common; in cooler climates development is slower. Economic impact includes product spoilage, contamination, and increased handling costs; Ephestia species are subject to quarantine and pest-control measures in the stored-product industry.

Control and management rely on sanitation and proper packaging, as well as monitoring with pheromone traps, temperature control, and, when needed, chemical or fumigation treatments as part of integrated pest management.

Taxonomy notes: the genus has been revised in some classifications, with several species previously placed in Ephestia reassigned to other genera such as Cadra.