Pyralidae 



(2) Ephestia cautella Walker. (The Dried-currant Moth.) 



Syn. cahiritella Zeller ; pasulella Barrett ; desuetella Walker. 



This insect, which in many respects closely re- 

 sembles the preceding species, like it is destructive 

 to stored food-products. It is known to feed upon 

 Zante currants, raisins, cacao-beans, or chocolate- 

 nuts, on flax-seed, flax-meal, and figs. It is re- 

 garded as probable that upon occasion it may de- 

 velop a tendency to feed upon almost any substance 

 which, containing nutriment, accords in its general 

 character with the commodities which have been 

 Fig 234 name d- 't is especially likely to attack dried fruits 

 E. cautella. of any kind in which there is sugar or oil. That the 

 ^ize Va 'of Tife? i nsect nas been introduced from abroad into our 

 (After chit- fauna is beyond reasonable doubt. Its ravages on 

 u nde s.' 'De U pt! tne other side of the Atlantic have been described by 

 Agric.," New writers long ago, while its appearance in this coun- 

 ter. * No. 8, try seems to ^ate f rom aDO ut the time of the At- 

 lanta Cotton Exposition. 

 Just as most of the common weeds in our fields are of 

 European origin, having been brought over in the seeds which 

 were originally imported, 

 or at a later time in the 

 hay and straw which are 

 used to stuff crates and 

 packing-boxes, so many 

 of the destructive insects, 

 which have greatly multi- 

 plied in America, are for- 

 eign in their origin. It is 

 not without reason that 

 the government maintains 

 a set of officers, whose 



. . Fig. 235. is. cautella. a, moth; b, vena- 



function it IS tO inspect tion of wings ; d, eggs. All figures enlarged. 



vegetable importations for ( A After ( ; 1 ? itte " den 'J' B c ulL R' s ' Dept ' 



r Agnc," New Ser., No. 8, p. o.) 



the purpose of quarantin- 

 ing those which appear to be likely to introduce insect pests. 

 Had the custom of quarantining plants been instituted earlier, our 

 farmers would to-day be happier, 



4M 



