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 inter punctella): 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 
inter punctella Hiibn.) (fig. 1), the Mediterranean flour moth (Ephestia 
JcueJtnieUa 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 1S0° F. 'The packages 
themselves were sterilized before being filled, but had there been any 
Fig. 2. — The Mediterranean flour moth ( Ephestia kuehniella): a, Moth; 
6, same from side, resting; c, larva; d, pupa; e, abdominal segments 
of larva, a-d, Enlarged; e, more enlarged. (After Chittenden.) 
