Table of content
- Introduction of the Insect
- Classification
- Distribution and Status
- Identification
- Problems with Identical signs
- Habit and Habitat
- Life cycle (Bionomics)
- Damage
- Common signs and symptoms of infestation
- Symptoms of damage
- Why is it important?
- Management
- Cultural practices
- Biological control
- Chemical treatment
- Restrictions
- Genome sequences
- Published research.
- References
Tropical warehouse moth / Almond moth
Introduction of the Insect
The almond moth or tropical warehouse moth (Cadra cautella) is a small, stored-product pest. Almond moths infest flour, bran, oats, and other grains, as well as dried fruits. It belongs to the family of snout moths (Pyralidae), and more specifically to the tribe Phycitini of the huge snout moth subfamily Phycitinae. Adult almond moons are predominantly light brown, with smaller hind wings, usually gray. When spread out the wings are 14-22mm. The trailing edges of the wings are lined with short fringes. Almond moth larvae are mostly gray with dark heads. Caterpillars are 12–15 mm long and can be identified by the pattern of spots along their backs. Other common names, particularly in non biological literature, are dried currant moth and fig moth, which invite confusion with the close relatives Cadra figulilella (raisin moth) and Cadra calidella (dried fruit moth). The almond moth has achieved an essentially cosmopolitan distribution due to inadvertent transport with food products in its larval form. Adults live for about 10 days after eclosion and do not eat, but may drink if water is available. The mating system is polygamous; however, many females will only mate once.
English name Tropical warehouse moth / Almond moth
Bangla name –
Scientific name Cadra cautella
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pyralidae
Genus: Cadra
Species: C. cautella
Binomial Name: Cadra cautella (Walker, 1863)
Synonyms: Cadra defectella Walker, 1864;
Cryptoblabes formosella Wileman & South, 1918;
Ephestia cautella (Walker, 1863);
Ephestia irakella Amsel, 1959;
Ephestia passulella Barrett, 1875;
Ephestia pelopis Turner, 1947;
Ephestia rotundatella Turati, 1930;
Nephopteryx desuetella Walker, 1866;
Nephopterix passulella (Barret, 1875);
Pempelia cautella Walker, 1863
- Eggs: Generally, adult female moths will oviposit around 200 eggs at a time. They are oval, ivory, and 2 cm long, laid on foodstuffs or cracks and crevices. The timing and number of eggs oviposited has been shown to vary based on several factors, including temperature, humidity, access to water, and type of food source. Low temperatures delay oviposition, and low humidity or lack of access to water seems to reduce the number of eggs oviposited by any given female.
- Larva/ Caterpillar: Almond moth larvae are mostly gray with darker heads. The caterpillar is 12–15 mm long and identifiable by the pattern of spots along its back. The larvae are creamy white, with a brown head capsule and rows of spots along the back. Larvae feed on various wheat products, preferring cracked or ground seeds. Older caterpillars will sometimes eat their younger siblings or eggs.
- Pupa: Pupal cases are whitish with a yellow to brownish colored pupa inside.
- Adult: Adult almond months are predominantly light brown in color, with smaller hind wings that are typically gray. When extended, its wingspan ranges from 14 to 22 mm or 16 to 30 mm. The back edges of the wings are lined with a short fringe. Adults have forewings that are gray with indistinct markings. When the wings are opened, they are light-gray to tan. When the wings are closed, light wavy markings are observed across the wings.
Almond moth has achieved essentially cosmopolitan distribution, i.e., found around the world. Although it thrives best in tropical climates, it has spread to many regions around the globe due to its tendency to infest dry goods that are shipped internationally. For example, it has been transported across Polynesia with Copra shipments.
Host Range
Since Almond moths exist primarily as a pest, its habitat is often some kind of dry food product which is stored in a warehouse or similar industrial environment. It is a serious pest of dried fruits such as currants, raisons, dried apples, dates, berries, figs, almonds, walnuts, tamarind seeds, etc. It has also been recorded on lac, malted milk, dried mango, pulp, garlic bulbs, various cereal grains and grain products. Fruits, pods, seeds and grains.
This species may be confused with the related Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella) or the Mediterranean flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella), raisin moth (Cadra figulilella) and dried food moth (Cadra calidella) which are also common pantry pests in the same subfamily. Distinction from Ephestia spp is only reliable by examination of the genitalia.
Most commonly, they are found in dried fruits, but they have also been found in nuts, beans, bran, nuts, beans, oats, flour, and other grains. Almond moths are largely polygynous; most males will remate multiple times, but only around 20% of females will remate. The almond moth thrives best in warm, humid environments. The ideal temperature range for development is 30–32 degrees Celsius (86–90 degrees Fahrenheit), and the ideal humidity range is 70-80%.
Females lay 20-120 eggs singly or in groups loosely amongst the food source. In optimal conditions, it takes about 3-5 days for eggs to hatch at 30 degrees Celsius temperature. The larvae burrow into food sources and reinforce tunnels with silk. Larvae mature in 25 days. Development can extend up to 64 days depending on food quality, temperature, and humidity. Larvae are tolerant of low humidity and low moisture content in food and go through five instars over a period ranging from 17 to 37 days. Larvae will migrate from infested products to pupate. The caterpillars are cannibalistic; larvae will also eat eggs and other smaller larvae. The pupal stages last around 7 days in optimal temperature and humidity. Adults will emerge from pupation in 8 to 10 days depending on temperature. Adult females live on average for ten days and adult males live for an average of six to seven days. Adult almond moths do not eat during their short lifespan but will drink water if they have access to it.
Damage occurs during the larval phase. External feeding and trails of silk webbing that contaminates stored products.
1. The almond moth larvae feed on the grain, leaving behind webbing and frass, which can contaminate the grain and reduce its quality as well as quantity.
2. The almond moth larvae can cause spoilage of the grain, making it unfit for human consumption.
3. Infestations of almond moths can lead to significant economic losses for farmers and food processors and potentially damage machinery.
4. Almond moths can spread fungal and bacterial diseases to stored grains, further reducing their quality and quantity.
1. Holes in packaged food.
2. Copious amounts of silk in and around foodstuffs and in machinery.
3. Presence of adults flying about.
1. Larvae preferentially feed on the germ and bran.
2. Large quantities of silk bind together and foul foodstuffs.
3. Copious amounts of silk are produced and may block machinery.
4. Foodstuffs are contaminated with frass, cast skins, pupal cases and dead moths.
1. Cut off the inward passage. Keep a habit to close doors and windows as you go and repair and seal the cracks on the surface of your house timely to keep pests away.
2. Seal all the solid food. Keep all the dried food in sealed containers to prevent storage pests from outside from entering and infesting the food. It can also confine those pests that are already in the food inside the container and stop them from spreading further.
3. Keep the food and the pantry dry. High humidity is crucial for storage pests, which breed much more seriously under a humid condition compared to a dry setting. Moist food also emits a smell that’s highly seductive to pests.
4. Heat treatment of 55 °C for 60 min could be applied to dates immediately after harvest as a safeguard against C. cautella infestation.
5. Control the air composition of the warehouse. Equipment may be used in large commercial storage warehouses to reduce the oxygen concentration and increase the carbon dioxide concentration in the warehouse so as to restrain the growth and development of stored grain insects.
1. The severity of a tropical warehouse moth infestation can be reduced by good store hygiene which includes cleaning the store between harvests, immersing grain sacks in boiling water and fumigating the store to eliminate residual infestations, ensuring that all spillages are removed, all cracks and crevices in the store are filled and the selection of only uninfested material for storage. Infestations of this species may also be limited by the storage of good quality grains such as whole cereals with fewer broken grains.
2. Discard stored food that has insects in it. Once you find food has insects in it, pack and discard it directly without hesitation. Note that the shorter the time that food with insects stays at home, the better.
3. Clean the storage room thoroughly. You can wipe and clean food storage room with soap and hot water, or you can wipe it with vinegar and peppermint oil. Everywhere should be checked, the corners and lower surfaces of the cupboards, as well as the walls, floors, doors, and other storage racks.
4. Clean other containers. Many plastic containers and glass containers containing food in the storage room should be cleaned. It is an indispensable step.
5. Reduce the humidity. Keeping the dry extent of dry storage is an important method for effective avoidance of multiple storage pests.
6. Low-temperature refrigeration. Putting the suspicious dry storage into the refrigerator for freezing for several days could kill the larva and eggs therein.
7. Place a sticky trap. You can buy this product in stores. It can stick to a variety of storage pests.
8. Use a vacuum cleaner. A vacuum cleaner can effectively suck away pests and eggs which are easy to be neglected. 8. Treatment: Controlled Atmosphere for infestation in product Treatment: Heat Treatment for infestation in building
Many parasitic wasps in the natural world could control the population quantity of almond moth, these parasitic wasps could pierce the eggs or larva of almond moth, and leave their descendants therein to absorb the nutrition development of almond moth, and kill almond moth in this process. In South Africa, the method of Habrobracon hebetor release in large amounts has been employed to control Almond moths. The integrated control of C. Cautella (Walker) by its predator mite Blattisocius Tarsalis (Berlese) was the most suitable strategy available to achieve effective pest management of C. cautella and other associated pests in warehouse storage systems for maize in Kenya.
Calneem oil provides a good level of protection to maize grains against infestation by C. cautella, and may therefore be a suitable substitute for Actellic. Fumigation of grain stocks with Phosphine will control existing infestations but will not protect against re-infestation. An admixture of approved grain insecticides, especially organophosphorus compounds, will protect against this pest. Store misting or fogging at times of peak flight activity may be used to control the adult population. Pesticides are poisons so it is essential to follow all safety precautions on labels.
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