Pyralis pictalis

Description

Pyralis pictalis, the painted meal moth or poplar pyralis, is a snout moth (family Pyralidae). It is closely related to the family's type species the meal moth (P. farinalis) and consequently belongs to the tribe Pyralini of the snout moth subfamily Pyralinae. Its native range is tropical Asia to East Asia and to Wallacea and adjacent regions, but it has been quite widely (though involuntarily) distributed by humans. The term "Poplar" in its common name does not refer to the trees, but to Poplar, London, where the type specimen – from such an introduction – was caught. It was called scarce meal moth in the original description, which is only correct for the fringes of its range however. While the caterpillars of this moth are most notable as a stored-food pest, they may themselves be useful for biological pest control as under certain conditions they will eat other insects' eggs.