124 First Report on Economic Zoology. 



Judging from the destructive habits of this pest and the great 

 difficulty in ridding furniture of it when once it gets well into the 

 wood, it is extremely dangerous to use such wood unless it is treated 

 to destroy all the pests in it first. 



For treatment : corrosive sublimate alone seems of any avail. 

 Paraffin has been found practically useless. 



SUB-GEOUr C. 



The Indian Meal Moth {Plodia interpuncfella, Huebn.) 



attacking Almonds. 



Almonds sent to the Museum from stores in the Docks, proved 

 to be attacked by one of the Meal Moths {Plodia intcrpundella, 

 Huebn.), popularly called the Indian Meal Moth. 



The Indian Meal Moth caterpillar often spins a mass of silk such 

 as sent with the attacked almonds. It is recorded as attacking beans, 

 peas, peanuts, walnuts, dried fruits, almonds, and various other dried 

 products, including cinnamon-lDark, dried dandelion roots, etc. 



The moth is about three-fourths of an inch across the expanded 

 wings ; some specimens, however, only reach half an inch. The outer 

 two-thirds of the front wings are dull reddish-brown ; the basal part 

 and all the hind wings dull grey. The moth deposits her eggs over 

 the articles destined for larval food, and also on boards, on walls, and 

 on floors ; these white ova are laid both singly and in groups of from 

 three to twelve. In a few days, variously estimated at from three to 

 seven, they hatch. The larva varies from dull white to pale reddish 

 or dull yellow, with brown head, and is more or less hairy. When 

 mature it reaches half an inch in length, and then spins a loose 

 cocoon in which it changes to a pale brown pupa. The whole life- 

 cycle takes four or five weeks ; so that a number of broods may appear 

 under favourable conditions. 



Fumigating with bisulphide of carbon, or hydi^ocyanic acid gas, 

 is the only treatment. 



Notes and instructions on fumigation with bisulphide of carbon 

 and hydrocyanic acid gas are appended ; neither harm food if freely 

 ventilated afterwards (vide p. 126). 



