﻿BULLETIN 15, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of small openings at the corners of many packages led to the con- 

 clusion that if cereals were run directly from the sterilizer into cartons, 

 which in turn were properly sealed, infestation would not in most 

 cases take place. This theory was strengthened by statements from 



grocers to the effect 

 that certain packages 

 which were carefully 

 sealed were not re- 

 turned to them be- 

 cause of the presence 

 of insects. 



INSECTS CON- 

 CERNED. 



Fig. 1. — The Indian-meal moth (Plodia interpunctella): a, Moth; b, 

 pupa; c, larva; /, same, dorsal view; d, head, and e, first abdominal 

 segment of larva. /, Somewhat enlarged; d, e, more enlarged. 

 (After Chittenden.) 



There are several 

 insects which attack 

 stored cereal prod- 

 ucts. Among the more important are the Indian-meal moth (Plodia 

 interpunctella Hiibn.) (fig. 1), the Mediterranean flour moth (Ephestia 

 Icuehniella Zell.) (fig. 2), the meal snout-moth (Pyralis farinalis L.), 

 the saw-toothed grain beetle (Silvanus surinamensis L.), the confused 

 flour beetle (Tribolium confusum Duv.) (fig. 3), the granary weevil 

 ( Calandra granaria L . ) , 

 and the rice weevil 

 ( Calandra oryza L . ) . 

 These are the principal 

 insects which are likely 

 to infest packed cereals. 

 There is an errone- 

 ous opinion with some 

 people that the cereals 

 become infested by 

 spontaneous genera- 

 tion. This, however, 

 is impossible; and when any insects are found in packages it is because 

 the eggs, larvae, or adults have gained access to the cereal after it 

 has been sterilized. 



EXPERIMENTS IN CALIFORNIA. 



Using the foregoing observations as a basis, the following experi- 

 ments were conducted, the idea being to test the efficiency of a cheap 

 sealed carton. 



A cereal was sterilized to such an extent that when it was placed 

 in a package the temperature developed was 180° F. The packages 

 themselves were sterilized before being filled, but had there been any 



Fig. 2. — The Mediterranean flour moth ( Ephestia Icuehniella): a, Moth; 

 6, same from side, resting; c, larva; d, pupa; e, abdominal segments 

 of larva, a-d, Enlarged; e, more enlarged. (After Chittenden.) 



