Phycide du Mistral
CRCritically Endangered

Phycide du Mistral

Ephestia mistralella

Ephestia mistralella is a species of snout moth in the genus Ephestia. It was described by Pierre Millière in 1874, and is known from France, Germany, Denmark, Fennoscandia, Estonia, Latvia and the Iberian Peninsula.

9

Countries

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephestia_mistralella

01Classification

Taxonomy & Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Pyralidae

Genus

Ephestia

Phycide du Mistral belongs to the family Pyralidae, order Lepidoptera, within the Insecta class.

02Description

Species Profile

Ephestia mistralella is a species of snout moth in the genus Ephestia. It was described by Pierre Millière in 1874, and is known from France, Germany, Denmark, Fennoscandia, Estonia, Latvia and the Iberian Peninsula.

Ephestia mistralella faces severe population declines due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urban development in Mediterranean coastal regions. Climate change is altering the specific microclimatic conditions this species requires, while pesticide use in agricultural areas directly impacts both the moth and its host plants.

Key Facts

IUCN StatusCritically Endangered (CR)
GroupInsects
03Habitat

Habitat & Distribution

Mediterranean scrubland and garrigue habitats along coastal areas, particularly in regions with specific host plants and the distinctive mistral wind patterns. The species requires undisturbed areas with native vegetation between 0-300m elevation in southern France and adjacent Mediterranean coastlines.

04Threats

Threats

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IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

Ephestia mistralella faces severe population declines due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urban development in Mediterranean coastal regions. Climate change is altering the specific microclimatic conditions this species requires, while pesticide use in agricultural areas directly impacts both the moth and its host plants.

Agricultural intensification and pesticide use

HighOngoing

Climate change affecting microhabitat conditions

HighOngoing

Habitat loss from coastal development

HighOngoing

Fragmentation of remaining suitable habitat

MediumOngoing

Loss of native host plant species

MediumOngoing
Community

Community Sightings

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07Sources

Sources & Attribution

How to Cite

IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS

GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org

This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Phycide du Mistral (Ephestia mistralella). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/phycide-du-mistral

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