Aglossa pinguinalis


Aglossa pinguinalis, the large tabby or grease moth, is a moth in the subfamily Pyralinae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. The dark-hued larvae feed on animal fats.

Description

The wingspan is 27 mm and 37 mm . The forewings are greyish-ochreous or brownish, densely sprinkled with dark fuscous; a blackish subbasal line; first and second lines obscurely paler, rather broad, waved, cloudily edged with dark fuscous on both sides, second curved outwards in dise; a dark fuscous discal spot. Hindwings fuscous-grey; a paler postmedian line very obscurely indicated. The larva is blackish or dark brown; head blackish: in silken galleries amongst chaff and hay refuse.

Distribution

Native to the Palearctic. it has been introduced in North America. It has also been introduced to New Zealand.