E. 



FIG. 234 



(After ^ 

 * e " 



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 

 named. It is especially likely to attack dried fruits 

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

 tw jf^ e insect has been introduced from abroad into our 

 chit- fauna is beyond reasonable doubt. Its ravages on 



u. ' s. i?ept! the other side of the Atlantic have been described by 



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

 try seems to date from about 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 



function it is to inspect 



vegetable importations for 



the purpose of quarantin- 



FIG. 235. E. cautella. a, moth ; b, vena- 

 tion of wings ; d, eggs. All figures enlarged. 

 (After Chittenden, "Bull. U. S. Dept. 

 Agric.," New Ser., No. 8, p. 8.) 



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 



