Moths (Insecta: Lepidoptera)

Abstract

Stored-product moths are among the most destructive pests of stored food products. The principal damage is caused by the larval caterpillars that not only consume product but also contaminate much more than they eat, with their webbing and excrement. The stored-product pests in the order Lepidoptera are all small to medium-sized grayish or brownish moths with a body length of 5–15 mm and wing span of 10–30 mm. Wing venation combined with characteristics of the mouthparts, antennae and ocelli are sufficient to identify adult stored-product moths to the family level. The fragments of stored-product moths that are most often found in processed foods are fragments of the caterpillar larvae. Diagnostic larval fragments include the mouthparts, the frons of the head capsule and the antennae. For many stored-product moths, mounting wings in glycerin jelly and viewing the mount with a transmitted-light microscope allows the identifier to trace the venation beneath the scales.