THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
[No. 346. 
MARCH, 1892. 
EPHESTIA KUHNIELLA. 
By R. Apxin, F.E.S. 
SincE this species was first recorded as occurring in this 
country, now just five years ago, and its subsequent detection in 
large numbers in imported flour in one of the East London ware- 
houses, it appears to have received but little attention, so far as 
published records are concerned ; it has nevertheless been steadily 
establishing itself, and, although we have no case of damage caused 
by its agency to parallel one recently reported from America, 
where the larve are said to have appeared in such multitudes as 
to necessitate the stoppage of a large mill for several days in 
order to clear the machinery of the tangled mass of webs from 
their workings, it is of sufficiently frequent occurrence in granaries, 
mills, bakehouses, &c., to warrant its being classed among our 
established insect-pests. Probably there are few such places that 
are altogether free from its attacks, and even samples in a London 
merchant’s office have fallen victims to its ravages. The larvee 
have been found most commonly on beams, window-ledges, and 
similar situations, where the dust from flour, rice, grain, &c., is 
allowed to accumulate, and probably find their way thence into 
the bulk of the flour, their presence being detected by the © 
improved cleaning machines now in use in the larger bakeries, 
and the imagines are to be seen only too often resting on walls, 
&e. For some years past I have had sundry broods under 
observation, and have been much struck by the privations through 
which the larva will pass without any apparent detrimental effect. 
In the early months of last year I started a fresh colony by 
placing a number of well-grown larve ina large glass jar, with 
some wheat-flour for food, and pieces of rag for them to pupate 
in. They soon fed up; imagines appeared and deposited ova, 
from which larve resulted in large numbers; brood succeeded 
brood, and for many months past there has been a liberal supply 
of larve in all stages, together with pupe, and imagines always 
present. Fresh flour was added from time to time, until August 
ENTOM.—MARCH, 1892, G 
