Feeding Damage of Three Stored-Product Moths (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on Wheat1

Destruction of kernels of wheat caused by feeding of three species of stored-product moths was studied at 27 to 30 ± 1°C and 80 ± 2% relative humidity. Larvae of Ephestia cautella (Walker) and Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) consumed similar quantities of individual wheat kernels during development. Pyralis farinalis L. consumed significantly more food (P < 0.05) than the other two moths. The part of the kernel eaten, however, varied among the species; P. interpunctella consumed 100% of the bran, P. farinalis 98%, and E. cautella only 40%. No kernels were capable of germinating after 1 week of feeding by E. cautella and P. interpunctella and 2 weeks of feeding by P. farinalis. Unbroken wheat kernels conditioned to 15.2% moisture content were not attacked by any of the three species, but undamaged kernels conditioned to 21.7% moisture content were successfully attacked by some larvae. Larvae of E. cautella feeding on germ and endosperm with or without bran reached the adult stage in 26 to 32 days; P. interpunctella, feeding on the same diet excluding bran, took 12 to 14 days longer than the control to reach the pupal stage.