Mediterranean Flour Moth vs Indo-Malaysian Drywood Termite

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Mediterranean Flour Moth Indo-Malaysian Drywood Termite
Scientific Name Ephestia kuehniella Cryptotermes cynocephalus
Order Lepidoptera Blattodea
Family Pyralidae Kalotermitidae
Size 10-14 mm body; 20-25 mm wingspan Workers 4-5 mm, soldiers 4-6 mm
Habitat Indoors Indoors
Diet Seed Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Worldwide Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Mediterranean Flour Moth

A major pest of flour mills that produces dense silken webbing that clogs milling machinery. It is pale grey with zigzag markings on the forewings.

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Did You Know?

It was the first insect used to demonstrate biological pest control with parasitoid wasps in the early 1900s.

Indo-Malaysian Drywood Termite

A drywood termite native to Southeast Asia that infests structural wood and furniture. It has spread across the Pacific through timber trade.

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Did You Know?

Its species name cynocephalus means dog-headed, referring to the shape of the soldier's head.