2 INDIAN-MEAL MOTH AND WEEVIL-CUT PEANUTS. 



the storage warehouses. This makes it necessary for the worlonen 

 to climb upon the stacks of sacked peanuts, thus breaking many 

 more, and increasing the percentage of infestation. 



The insect chiefly concerned in the injury to stored peanuts is the 

 larva of a small dusky moth, commonl}- called the Indian-meal moth 

 {Plodia inter punctella Hbn.), a common and well-known pest, habit- 

 ually frequenting all places where foodstuffs and cereals may be 

 stored, and feeding, as its name would indicate, upon meal, flour," 

 and grain. It also attacks dried fruits, nuts, chocolate, and seeds. 

 Like other related species, it prefers darkness or semidarkness, 

 although at times seen abundantly in well-lighted storerooms.^ 



Fig. 1. — The Indian-meal moth (Plodia inter- 

 punctella) : a. Moth ; h, chrysalis ; c, cater- 

 pillar ; d, head ; e, first abdominal segment 

 of caterpillar, more enlarged. (From Chit- 

 tenden.) 



DESCRIPTION OF STAGES. 



The adult or moth, shown in the accompanying illustration 

 (fig. 1, a), is about one-half to three-fourths of an inch in expanse 



of wings. The outer two- 

 thirds of the forewing is of a 

 reddish brown color with a 

 coppery luster, while the in- 

 ner third is whitish gray, giv- 

 ing the insect, while resting, 

 the ajjpearance of being 

 cloaked. The hind wings are 

 dusky gray. The larva, 

 shown at c, d, and e, in the 

 figure, is dirty whitish, vary- 

 ing at times from greenish to 

 a decided pink cast. It is 

 about one-half of an inch in 

 length when mature. The pupa, shown at h, is about three-eighths of 

 an inch in length and light brown in color. It is inclosed in a 

 cylindrical silken cocoon or web, which may be mixed with frass. 

 The eggs are small and white, and are deposited upon the food sub- 

 stance selected, either singly or in groups of three to a dozen. 



LIFE HISTORY AND HABITS. 



The moths usually make their appearance in numbers, in Virginia, 

 by about the middle of June, and may be seen flying in the darker 

 portions of the storage houses or resting upon the sacks of peanuts. 



* In addition to the Indian-meal moth, several other insects are frequently found to 

 injure peanuts in storage. These, in the order of their importance, are as follows : The 

 rust-red flour beetle (TrnoUum narale Fab.), the saw-toothed grain beetle (Silvanus 

 surinamensis L. ), the cadelle (Tenehroides niauritanicus L.), the fig moth (Ephestla 

 cautella Walk.), and the Mediterranean flour moth {Ephestia kuehniella Zell.). The 

 three former species are capable of cutting through the shells of peanuts, but rarely 

 occur in such numbers as to be injurious to them. They are amenable to the remedies 

 mentioned in this publication. 



