Wheat'-moth, n.

n. (Entom.) An insect whose grubs devour the grains of wheat, chiefly after it is harvested; grain-moth. ¶ The name is chiefly applied to two lepidopterous insects, the moths of which are also called corn-moths, and the larvæ corn-worms, namely: (a.) An insect of the genus Tinea (T. granella), the larvæ of which, a soft, naked caterpillar, of a cylindrical shape, and four or five tenths of an inch in length, is very injurious to harvested or stored grain, gnawing the kernels, and fastening them together in lumps or balls by means of webs. (b.) An insect of the genus Butalis (or Anacampsis) (B. or A. cerealella), the larva of which, a minute caterpillar, not thicker than a hair, and but two tenths of an inch long, is very destructive to stored grain, burrowing in the tender portion of the kernels, and devouring the mealy substance within the hull. It is also called Angoumois moth, from Angoumois in France, where its ravages have caused great losses. Harris.