Mediterranean Flour Moth, Ephestia kuehniella

A post on Twitter last week from Jarred Tibbets caught the eye of Steve (Whitehouse).

Jarred had reported a probable Mediterranean Flour Moth caught in a pheromone trap at the garden centre bird-food store where he works in West Hagley. Steve obtained a rather battered dead specimen which, because of it's poor condition, would require dissection and this was quickly followed by a live moth in good condition which I collected and photographed.

Both specimens have now been dissected and confirmed as Mediterranean Flour Moth, Ephestia kuehniella, apparently the first Worcestershire records for 120 years. The species has most likely been present during the intervening years, it just needs someone with an interest in moths to be in the places where it is likely to be found i.e. food stores, flour mills etc.   Patrick Clement

Ephestia kuehniella