ANGOUMOIS MOTH. 1s 
Barley were forwarded to me by a Liverpool firm,* with the following 
observations :— 
“We enclose a few grains of North African (Tripolitan) Barley, 
which you will notice show a small perforation. Although such grains 
appear among the Barley in quite infinitesimal quantities, yet some of 
our English maltsters are afraid to use the Barley (although considering 
it otherwise suitable) because they fear that the perforations indicate 
the presence or the possibility of weevils. Although we believe this 
fear to be entirely without ground, we venture, as the matter is one of 
considerable public interest, to ask your opinion,—(A) as to whether 
the perforation indicates weevil, or any danger of such developing ; 
(B) as to the insect which causes the perforation, and if any eggs are 
left in the grain, whether same are likely to cause injury ?” 
The matter being obviously of importance, I examined every one 
of the Barley grains sent me by cutting them open and ascertaining 
the nature of the contents under a powerful magnifier, and found that 
the damage had been done, not by the maggot of any kind of true 
weevil or other beetle, but by the caterpillar of a very small moth, and 
investigation of other specimens (from which I was able to take the 
infestation both in grub and chrysalis state, and was also able to rear 
specimens of the perfect insect) showed it to be of the moth known 
under the various synonyms of Sitotroga cerealella, of Olivier, and also 
of Butalis cerealella and Gelechia cerealella, of the same observer. 
Popularly it is known for the most part as the ‘‘ Angoumois Moth,”’ 
although in America the name of ‘‘ Fly Weevil” is still applied to it, 
as it was before the year 1791, not only to this infestation, but also to 
those of the Granary Weevils, Calandra granaria and C. oryz@, which 
it resembles so much in its method of injury to the grain. 
The mode of attack is for the female moth to lay her eggs, up to 
as many as twenty or thirty in number, singly or in lines and clusters 
(and especially along the longitudinal furrow) on ripened or nearly 
ripened corn whilst standing in the field; but egg deposit may also 
take place on stored corn in granaries, and from this cause, where 
temperature is suitable for propagation, a constant presence of the 
attack may be kept up. 
Barley appears to be especially liable to attack, but Wheat is also 
subject to it, as well as other cereals, and likewise Maize, or Indian 
corn, as well as Buckwheat, and seeds of some other crops, in which it 
would only trouble us as an imported pest. 
The eggs are red or orange red in colour, and from these the little 
whitish caterpillars, which at first are hardly thicker than a hair, 
* IT am requested, for trade reasons, not to mention the name of the firm; but 
I may further say that the infested cargo, regarding which enquiry came to me 
through their hands, was not shipped to themselves, but to one of our eastern ports. 
