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Glite Dictionary
Ephestia elutella

Ephestia elutella

9.9
A small moth whose young eat tobacco and other dried plant foods in storage and damage them
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Ephestia elutella
  • The warehouse suffered a severe infestation of Ephestia elutella that damaged the stored grain.

Examples

  • Tobacco manufacturers take measures to prevent Ephestia elutella from contaminating their products.

  • Farmers often struggle with Ephestia elutella infestations.

  • Scientists are studying the lifecycle of Ephestia elutella to develop better pest control methods.

  • The Ephestia elutella is a common pest in warehouses.

  • A severe infestation of Ephestia elutella in the warehouse ruined many bags of dried herbs.

  • To protect their crops, farmers must be vigilant against Ephestia elutella larvae in their storage facilities.

  • The presence of Ephestia elutella in tobacco shops can lead to significant financial losses for retailers.

Synonyms

tobacco moth
vsEphestia elutella
  • Specialized
8.6

A small insect whose young eat tobacco and other dried plants

is a pest of stored goods in general rather than only tobacco storage
cacao moth
vsEphestia elutella
9.1

A small moth whose larvae eat and damage dried plant goods like cacao beans and tobacco

is mainly noted for larvae feeding on tobacco and other dried stored goods

Surface Forms

Ephestia elutella singular
Ephestia elutellas plural

Morphology

Ephestia + elutella

This is a Latin binomial taxonomic name: knowing 'Ephestia' (a genus of moths) would allow a learner to infer the referent is a moth/pest, but the species epithet 'elutella' is an opaque label with no compositional meaning. Because the phrase functions as a biological name (a label) rather than a predictable combination of English words, the transparency is only partial.

Etymology

Ephestia elutella is the scientific name for a small moth whose young caterpillars sneak into sacks of tobacco and grain and eat the dried food. Picture tiny caterpillars chewing through bags in a warehouse — that's why the name refers to a 'pest' of 'stored goods'.