124 First Report on Economic Zoology. 
Judging from tlie 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-GROUP C. 
The Indian Meal Moth ( Plodia inter punctella, Huebn.) 
attacking Almonds. 
Almonds sent to the Museum from stores in the Docks, proved 
to be attacked by one of the Meal Moths ( Plodia interpunctella, 
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-bark, 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 hydrocyanic 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 ). 
