Almond moth

Classification

Secondary pest; Grain feeder
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pyralidae
Acronym: CCA

Sometimes referred to as warehouse moth or tropical warehouse moth; scientific references may use Ephestia cautella.

Description

• Adults have forewings that are grey with indistinct markings, wingspan is 16 to 30 mm

Similar species

• Brown house moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella)
• Indianmeal moth (Plodia interpunctella)
• Mediterranean flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella)

Commodities affected

• Prefers dried fruits, but will feed on a wide variety of material including flour, grain, dates, cocoa beans, nuts, seeds.

Signs of infestation

• Holes in packaged food
• Copious amounts of silk in and around foodstuffs and in machinery
• Presence of adults flying about

Damage

• Larvae preferentially feed on the germ and bran.
• Large quantities of silk bind together and foul foodstuffs.
• Copious amounts of silk are produced and may block machinery.
• Foodstuffs are contaminated with frass, cast skins, pupal cases and dead moths.

How to control

• Control grain insect pests

Geographic range

• Is found worldwide, but it can only overwinter in tropical regions or inside heated structures in temperate areas.

Where found

• Is an important pest of mills and food processing plants
• Is also found in warehouses and households
• Adults rest on walls of structures during the day and are more active at dawn and dusk.
• Larvae infest bulk and bag stored grain but are restricted to attacking surface layers in bulk grain storage
• Continued population survival is associated with residues in structures and machinery.

Life history

• Females lay eggs loosely amongst the food source.
• Eggs hatch in about three days at 30^oC.
• Larvae wander in search of food and will enter packaged food through the smallest of openings.
• Larvae burrow into food sources and reinforce tunnels with silk.
• Larvae may enter diapauses during declining temperature and day length in temperate regions. Diapause may last several months.
• Larvae are tolerant of low humidity and low moisture content in food.
• When ready to pupate, larvae become obvious as they leave the infested food source in search of pupation sites.
• Adult moths are short lived and do not feed.