Meal Moth vs Spine-waisted Ant
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Meal Moth | Spine-waisted Ant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pyralis farinalis | Aphaenogaster tennesseensis |
| Order | Lepidoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Pyralidae | Formicidae |
| Size | 10-14 mm body; 18-30 mm wingspan | 4-5 mm |
| Habitat | Indoors | Woodlands |
| Diet | Seed Feeders | Seed Feeders |
| Regions | Worldwide | Eastern North America |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Meal Moth
A distinctive moth with olive and reddish-brown banded wings that infests stored grain and flour. Larvae live in silken tubes within infested food products.
Did You Know?
Its larval silk tubes can form dense mats in stored grain, binding the product into solid masses.
Spine-waisted Ant
A slender reddish-brown ant common in eastern North American deciduous forests. It is an important seed disperser, carrying seeds with nutritious elaiosomes back to its nest.
Did You Know?
They are responsible for dispersing seeds of many spring wildflowers including trilliums, violets, and bloodroot.