Ephestia Cautella Research Articles

Toxicity of propylene oxide alone and in combination with low pressure or carbon dioxide against life stages of Ephestia cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) under laboratory conditions

A series of tests was carried out in the laboratory for comparison of the insecticidal effect of propylene oxide (PPO) alone and in combination with low pressure and/or elevated levels of carbon dioxide against eggs, larvae, pupae and adults of Ephestia cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). All life stages of E. cautella were exposed to PPO alone and in combination with either a low pressure of 100 mm Hg or 92% CO2 for 4 h at 26 ± 1 °C and 65 ± 5% relative humidity (r.h.). The results indicated that PPO alone was moderately effective with concentration x time products (Ct products) required to obtain 99% mortality of the different life stages of E. cautella ranging between 66.1 and 536.2 mg h/L. The life stages differed in their susceptibility to PPO. Eggs were the most susceptible with a LC99 value of 16.5 mg/L, whereas pupae were the most tolerant with a LC99 value of 134.1 mg/L. Mortality of all life stages was extremely low (1.3–18.8%), when exposed to either the low pressure or 92% CO2 alone for 4 h. However, when low pressure or 92% CO2 were combined with PPO, the LC50 and LC99 values for all stages of E. cautella were notably reduced. Combination of PPO with low pressure or 92% CO2 caused reductions in the LC99 values for all life stages, compared with those exposed to PPO alone. These results indicated that low pressure (100 mm Hg, equals to 13,332 Pa or 0.13 atm) and 92% CO2 clearly increased the efficacy of PPO to E. cautella. By considering the overall insecticidal efficacy data, the combination of PPO with low pressure was, in all cases, more effective than the combination of PPO with CO2.

Inhibition of egg development by hypercarbia and hypoxia in almond moth, Ephestia cautella (Walker, 1863) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Incir kurdu olarak bilinen Ephestia cautella (Walker, 1863) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) isimli zararliya %85 CO 2 + %3 O 2 (denge gaz N 2 ) ve %95 CO 2 + %1 O 2 (denge gaz N 2 ) kompozisyonundaki iki farkli kontrollu atmosferin (KA) uygulanmasiyla yuksek karbondioksitli atmosferlerin yumurta gelisiminde olusturdugu gecikme 2012-2014 yillari arasinda Ankara Universitesi Ziraat Fakultesi Depolanmis Urun Zararlilari Laboratuvarinda yapilan calismada incelenmistir. Ephestia cautella ’ nin 1-3 gun-yasli yumurtalari 20±1, 25±1 ve 30±1°C sicaklik ve %65±5 orantili nem kosullarinda her iki KA kompozisyonuna 104 saate kadar varan degisik surelerde maruz birakilmistir. Genel olarak, her iki KA 1-8 gun araliginda yumurta gelisiminde gecikmeye yol acmistir. Gecikme dusuk sicakliklarda daha dikkate deger bulunmustur. Maksimum gecikme 20°C sicaklikta %95 CO 2 + %1 O 2 konsantrasyonuna 88 saat sureyle maruz kalan uc-gun-yasli yumurtalarda sekiz gun olarak tespit edilmistir. Kisa uygulama suresi gelismede kisa sureli gecikmeye neden olmustur. Dort saatlik uygulama suresi %95 CO 2 + %1 O 2 konsantrasyonuna 25°C sicaklikta maruz kalan uc-gun-yasli yumurtada bir gunluk gecikmeye neden olmustur. Gecikmeyi de iceren yumurta acilimi toplam suresi 30°C de 5 gun, 25°C de 8 gun ve 20°C de 12 gundur. Dolayisiyla KA uygulamalarini basariyla uygulayabilmek icin bu surelerin dikkate alinmasi onemlidir.

Alternatives to Methyl Bromide for Disinfesting Date Moth, Cadra cautella, in Stored Dates

Alternatives to Methyl Bromide for Disinfesting Date Moth, <i>Cadra cautella</i>, in Stored Dates

Arthropod pests of date palm and their management.

Abstract This review lists 132 species of insect and mite pests associated with date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) grown worldwide. These species are distributed among eight insect orders and 30 families, besides one order of mite comprising nine families. Most of the species (52) were reported on the leaf (frond), while 26 species were associated with the roots and trunk. Green fruits with their stalks and stored dates hosted 27 species each. Coleoptera represented 41% of the listed pest species, followed by Hemiptera (20%), Acari (16%) and Lepidoptera (12%). Although the number of date palm pest species seems to be high, only a few species are considered major pests of economic importance. The major pests include the red palm weevil, ( Rhynchophorus ferrugineus ), old world date mite ( Oligonychus afrasiaticus ), lesser date moth ( Batrachedra amydraula ), Dubas date bug ( Ommatissus lybicus ), green pit scale ( Palmaspis phoenicis ), carob moth ( Ectomyelois ceratoniae ), date palm longhorn beetle ( Jebusaea hammerschmidti ), and almond moth ( Cadra cautella ). The review also lists 90 species of predators and parasitoids representing nine orders and 23 families, indicating their potential role in date palm pest management. The paper summarizes the current knowledge on management tactics including monitoring, agrotechnical measures, biological control, semiochemical-based control and chemical control. The implementation of integrated pest management strategies against major pests, based on the above-mentioned tactics, is discussed. The information gathered in this review indicates that strict quarantine, semiochemicals including pheromones and training and education of farmers are expected to play a central role in area-wide IPM of major date palm pests.

Fumigant Toxicity of Essential Oil from Lantana camara Against Almond Moth, Cadra cautella (Walker)

Lantana camara is a common weed species in tropics and sub tropics and coastal locations of Asia. The fumigant toxicity of essential oil extracted from leaves of plant was tested against almond moth, Cadra cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera, Phycitidae). Concentrations of essential oil relative to the wheat grains were 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 μl/l used against early eggs (0–24 hrs.), late eggs (2–3 days), early larvae (5–7 days), mid larvae (10–12days), late larvae (18–20 days) and early adult (0–24 hrs.) and late adults (2–3 days) stage of C. cautella. The different concentrations of essential oil were applied to Whatman No. 1 with 2.5 cm in diameter filter paper and then pasted on the inner surface of the lid with adhesive tape in the bottom of fumigation flask ten eggs, larvae and adults of different ages with 20 wheat seeds were kept before keeping the treated filter paper, the lid was closed and sealed to create airtight condition in the chamber. The concentrations of essential oil were tested against different stages of test insect and one control with insect and wheat grain but without essential oil was maintained. The experiment was repeated thrice and observation was made at 6, 12, 24 and 48 hrs. of exposure period. Early eggs showed lower LC50 value of 48.56 μl/L compared to 77.75 μl/L with late eggs. The larval LC50 values ranged between 29–39 μl/L. Susceptibility of adult stage was also increased and the LC50 values being 15.23 and 11.21 μl/L for early and late adult stages, respectively.

Aktivitas Repelensi dan Insektisidal Beberapa Ekstrak dan Minyak Nabati terhadap Hama Gudang Ephestia cautella

&lt;p&gt;Ephestia cautella&lt;em&gt; is one &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;type &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;of storage pest&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;s&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; that causes a decrease in cocoa bean&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;quality. Control of th&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; pest using chemical insecticides is not recommended because it is harmful to the environment and consumer health. The research aimed to &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;examine&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; the repellency and insecticidal activity of several types of extract and botanical oil &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;against&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;E. cautella&lt;em&gt; larvae. The &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;research was&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; conducted &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;in&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; the Plant Protection Laboratory, Indonesian Industrial and Beverage Crops Research Institute, &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;from &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;March to November 2012. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;Botanical&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; materials used &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;were&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; water extracts from &lt;/em&gt;Ageratum conyzoides&lt;em&gt; leaves, &lt;/em&gt;Azadirachta indica&lt;em&gt; seeds, &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;and &lt;/em&gt;Allium sativum&lt;em&gt; tubers, as well as oil from &lt;/em&gt;Reutalis trisperma&lt;em&gt;, &lt;/em&gt;Syzygium aromaticum&lt;em&gt;, and &lt;/em&gt;Andropogon nardus&lt;em&gt;, &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;with respective&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; concentration of 0.5%. The insects test used was the 3rd instar larvae &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;generated&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; in the laboratory. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;reliminary testing &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;of the &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;repellency activity was performed &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;used the&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; multiple&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;-&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;choice method, while subsequent testing used the dual&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;-&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;choice method with the parameter&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;s&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; of larvae &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;number remains i&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;n each treatment until 72 hours. The insecticidal activity was conducted using residual &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;method &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;on the feed substitute, by calculating mortality rate of the test insects. Observations were made at 24, 48, and 72 hours after treatment. The results showed that water extract &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;from&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;A. sativum&lt;em&gt; bulbs and &lt;/em&gt;A. conyzoides&lt;em&gt; leaves have high repellency percentage on the &lt;/em&gt;E. cautella&lt;em&gt; larvae, i.e. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;of &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;81.33% and 78.67%, respectively. Thus, the&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;se&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; two vegetable extracts have the potential to be &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;used as cocoa bean protectant &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;from &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;storage pest &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;attack&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;s.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; The extract&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;s&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;from&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;A. indica&lt;em&gt; seed, &lt;/em&gt;A. sativum&lt;em&gt; bulbs, as well as&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; oil from&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;R. trisperma&lt;em&gt; and &lt;/em&gt;S. aromaticum&lt;em&gt; showed insecticidal properties that are able to kill &lt;/em&gt;E. cautella&lt;em&gt; larvae.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Comparison of Demographic Parameters and Predation Rates of Orius strigicollis (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) Fed on Eggs of Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) and Cadra cautella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

Orius strigicollis (Poppius) is an anthocorid bug with high foraging ability on thrips as well as on mites, and the bug has been considered as a potential biological control agent in Taiwan. Life table and predation studies of O. strigicollis fed on Cadra cautella (Walker) and Tetranychus urticae (Koch) eggs were conducted at 25 ± 1°C. Data were analyzed and compared using TWOSEX-MSChart and CONSUME-MSChart software. O. strigicollis fed on eggs of C. cautella, a substitute prey, showed significantly higher survival rate and developmental rate than individuals fed on their natural prey, T. urticae eggs. The fecundity of O. strigicollis fed on C. cautella eggs was, on average, 13.2 times higher than that of those fed on T. urticae eggs, despite of the fact that during the entire nymphal stage, the consumption rate of O. strigicollis on T. urticae eggs was ca. 9 times higher than on almond moth eggs The conversion rate (i.e., number of prey eggs needed to produce one predator egg) for this predatory bug reared on T. urticae eggs and almond moth eggs were 604.6 and 6.0, respectively, indicating that almond moth eggs served as an effective alternative prey for ensuring the predator's reproduction. This is the first study pertaining to the population parameters and predation rates of O. strigicollis using the age-stage two-sex approach to describe differences between O. strigicollis populations reared on natural and alternative preys. This information may be useful in mass rearing programs and field application involving this biological control agent.

Entomotoxicant Potential of Some Medicinal Plant Against Ephestia cautella Infesting Cocoa Bean in Storage

ABSTRACT The entomotoxicant action of five different medicinal plant oils extracted with different solvents tested against Ephestia cautella infestation was conducted under laboratory condition. The ethanolic and petroleum ether extract of the botanicals were made using soxhlet apparatus. The oils were tested against the insect at 0.5 and 1.0ml dosages and each treatments were replicated three times. The ethanolic oil extract of M. tennuifolia was only the extract that acheived 100% moth mortality and its effect was significantly (p<0.05) different from all other extracts. However, petroleum ether increased the effect of the other extracts on the survival of the moth as reflected by their LD50. Regardless of the solvent used, all the oils reduced the hatchability of the egg of the insect while adult emergence of the insect was prevented by all the oil extracts except 0.5ml dosage of C. frutescens and A. occidentale. Since ethanolic extract of M. tennuifolia appeared most effective against the adult moth, it could be recommended for immediate control of E. cautella infestation while other extracts could be used as protectant.

Storage insect pests and their damage symptoms: an overview

Stored product pests gain access to the grain storage from the standing crop in the field to various stages of grain processing and storage. Although, about one thousand species of insects have been associated with stored products in different parts of the world, a few pests are considered as pests causing severe damage to the stored grains. The stored grain insect pests can be categorized on the basis of their feeding behaviour as internal and external feeder or as major and minor pests based on the severity of damage, they cause. This paper gives an overview of damage symptoms and biology of some of the major pests of stored grains viz., rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae, lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominaca, khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium, red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne, drug store beetle, Stegobium paniceum, pulse beetles Callosobruchus spp., Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cereallela, rice moth Corcyra cephalonica, saw toothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis, long headed flour beetle, Latheticus oryzae, and almond moth Cadra cautella.

Genes involved in sex pheromone biosynthesis of Ephestia cautella, an important food storage pest, are determined by transcriptome sequencing.

BackgroundInsects use pheromones, chemical signals that underlie all animal behaviors, for communication and for attracting mates. Synthetic pheromones are widely used in pest control strategies because they are environmentally safe. The production of insect pheromones in transgenic plants, which could be more economical and effective in producing isomerically pure compounds, has recently been successfully demonstrated. This research requires information regarding the pheromone biosynthetic pathways and the characterization of pheromone biosynthetic enzymes (PBEs). We used Illumina sequencing to characterize the pheromone gland (PG) transcriptome of the Pyralid moth, Ephestia cautella, a destructive storage pest, to reveal putative candidate genes involved in pheromone biosynthesis, release, transport and degradation.ResultsWe isolated the E. cautella pheromone compound as (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate, and the major pheromone precursors 16:acyl, 14:acyl, E14-16:acyl, E12-14:acyl and Z9,E12-14:acyl. Based on the abundance of precursors, two possible pheromone biosynthetic pathways are proposed. Both pathways initiate from C16:acyl-CoA, with one involving ∆14 and ∆9 desaturation to generate Z9,E12-14:acyl, and the other involving the chain shortening of C16:acyl-CoA to C14:acyl-CoA, followed by ∆12 and ∆9 desaturation to generate Z9,E12-14:acyl-CoA. Then, a final reduction and acetylation generates Z9,E12-14:OAc. Illumina sequencing yielded 83,792 transcripts, and we obtained a PG transcriptome of ~49.5 Mb. A total of 191 PBE transcripts, which included pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptides, fatty acid transport proteins, acetyl-CoA carboxylases, fatty acid synthases, desaturases, β-oxidation enzymes, fatty acyl-CoA reductases (FARs) and fatty acetyltransferases (FATs), were selected from the dataset. A comparison of the E. cautella transcriptome data with three other Lepidoptera PG datasets revealed that 45 % of the sequences were shared. Phylogenetic trees were constructed for desaturases, FARs and FATs, and transcripts that clustered with the ∆14, ∆12 and ∆9 desaturases, PG-specific FARs and potential candidate FATs, respectively, were identified. Transcripts encoding putative pheromone degrading enzymes, and candidate pheromone carrier and receptor proteins expressed in the E. cautella PG, were also identified.ConclusionsOur study provides important background information on the enzymes involved in pheromone biosynthesis. This information will be useful for the in vitro production of E. cautella sex pheromones and may provide potential targets for disrupting the pheromone-based communication system of E. cautella to prevent infestations.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1710-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

English

Developing larvae of major insect pests like Ephestia cautella rapidly degrade stored cocoa beans through feeding and other biological activities on the beans. Completion of developmental stages of insects may be influenced by a number of biochemical factors triggered by the primary post-harvest processing of cocoa beans prior to storage. Hence, this study assessed the development of E. cautella from first instar larval stage to adult stage on cocoa beans fermented at varied degrees. Fresh ripening pods of Amelonado variety (N38) were harvested and fermented variedly at 0 - 7 days, and sun-dried to about 5-6% moisture content. The variedly fermented cocoa beans (300 g/treatment) were infested with newly hatched first instar larvae of E. cautella (N=10) in a completely randomized design with four replications at 28±2°C and 70±5% relative humidity (RH). Days to adult emergence of the larvae of E. cautella on the cocoa beans varied significantly (P>0.05) between 0 day and 76.50 days in 4 days and 7 days-fermented beans, respectively. Significant variations occurred (P>0.05) in the total adult emergents of E. cautella, ranging between 0 and 8.25 in 4 days and 1 day fermented beans, respectively. This study reveals that the fermentation period of cocoa beans prior to drying and storage influenced adult emergence of E. cautella on stored cocoa beans, with 0 - 3 days fermented beans highly susceptible to E. cautella’s development to adult stage. Cocoa beans need to be fermented adequately for 4 to 7 days before drying to prevent insects’ damage. Notably, 4-days fermented cocoa beans did not support E. cautella development to adult stage at 90 days post larvae-introduction. The 4-days fermented cocoa beans require further investigations for its nutritional suitability and importance in human diets. Key words: Varied fermentation, Ephestia cautella, total adult emergents, days to adult emergence.

Efficacy of gaseous ozone at high concentrations against Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) and Ephestia cautella (Walker) in Almond

Bu calismada laboratuvar kosullarinda bademde kisa uygulama suresinde ve yuksek konsantrasyonda ozon gazi uygulamasinin Ephestia cautella (Walker) ve Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)’ nin tum biyolojik donemlerine karsi biyolojik etkinligi arastirilmistir. Fumigasyon cemberi icerisinde 1.3 kg kabuklu bademin ust ve alt kismina yerlestirilen E. cautella ve P. interpunctella’nin tum biyolojik donemleri 6 saat suresince yarim saat aralikla iki farkli konsantrasyonda (8.35 and 33.33 mg/l) ozon gazi sirkulasyonuna maruz birakilmistir. Biyolojik testler sonucunda 33.33 mg/l konsantrasyonda ozon gazi uygulamasinda urunun ust kismina yerlestirilen E. cautella’ nin yalnizca ergin ve pupalarin, P. interpunctella’nin ise tum biyolojik donemlerin 100 % ya da 100 % yakin olumleri elde edilmistir. Bunun yaninda daha dusuk konsantrasyonda (8.35 mg/l) ozon gaz uygulamasinda ise yalnizca urunun ust kismina yerlestirilen P. interpunctella’ nin ergin ve pupalarin 100 % yakin olumleri elde edilmistir. Acik bir sekilde dusuk konsantrasyonda (8.35 mg/l) ozon gazi uygulamasinda E. cautella ve P. interpunctella’nin tum biyolojik donemlerine ait olum oranlari yuksek konsantrasyonda (33.33 mg/l) ozon gazi uygulamasindakilerden istatistiki olarak onemli derecede daha dusuk oldugu gorulmustur. Genel olarak tum ozon gazi uygulamasinda urunun ust kismina yerlestirilen boceklerin olum oranlari alt kisma yerlestirilen boceklerinkinden daha yuksek oldugu bulunmustur. Ozellikle urunlerin alt kismina yerlestirilen E. cautella ve P. interpunctella larvalarini ve yumurtalarini tamamen oldurmenin cok guc oldugu gorulmustur. Ayrica, bu calismada yumurta donemi haric E. cautella‘nin genellikle P. interpunctella‘ya gore ozon gazina daha dayanikli oldugu belirlenmistir. Sonuc olarak yuksek konsantrasyonda ozon gazi uygulamasinin kisa uygulama suresinde bademde E. cautella ve P. interpunctella’nin tum biyolojik donemlerini tamamen kontrol edememesinden dolayi ozon gazinin urunlerin bocek bulasmalarindan hizli bir sekilde arindirilmasinda metil bromide potansiyel bir alternatif olamayacagi gorulmektedir.

Outline of Biological Effects, Fecundity, Eclosion and Lifespan on Adult Tropical Warehouse Moth, Cadra cautella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) by using Sex Ratio

Tropical warehouse moth Cadra cautella Walker, 1863 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a major pest of stored food products worldwide. It was originated from the tropics and subtropics but it disperses through imported food cargoes.

The effect of microwave on different stages of fig moth, Ephestia cautella )Walk) Lepidoptera:Pyralidae ) in stored date)

Eggs, larvae, pupa and adults of date moth Ephestia cautella were exposed to three levels ofmicrowave power 600, 800 and 1000 W at different exposure time (0,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20 and 20second). The results showed that microwave had high ability to kill different stages of fig moth. Theeffect increased by increasing of microwaves power and exposure time. The percentage of eggmortality was %100 at 600 and 800 W, and exposure time. Similarly, egg mortality was alsoincreased at 1000 W in less than 12 sec. The highest motility of larvae was %90 at 600 W and%96.67 at 800 W, when the exposure time was 10 sec., while, the mortality was %100 at 1000 W and18 sec. male and female pupal mortality rates was %100 at 800 W, when the exposure times were 20and 18 sec., respectively. The ranges of lethal time of %50 and %95 ( LT 50 , LT 95 ) at 600-1000 Wwere 501-9.9 and 15.7 – 34.2 , 3.0-7.5 and 9.0-50.0and 3.2-4.8 and 7.9-39.1 for egg , larvae andpupae, respectively. However, the results showed that all adult treatments significantly affected ageaverage and emergence of adult male and female. The age of emerged males and females did notexceeded 4.267 and 5.267 days respectively, at 600 W and 6 sec. exposure. While, adult emergencestopped at 800 W and 14 and 16 sec. for male and female pupae respectively. The results of thisinvestigation indicated the affectivity of using microwaves technique and further research efforts isneeded before the feasibility microwave technique can be evaluated as alternative in stored dateschemical method using Methyl Bromide.

Comparative efficacy of CO2 and ozone gases against Ephestia cautella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae under different temperature regimes.

Comparative efficacy of three different modified atmospheres: 100% CO2, 75% CO2 + 25% N2, and 22 ppm ozone were examined against larval mortality of the almond moth, Ephestia cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) at temperature regimes of 25°C and 35 ± 2°C and 60 ± 5% relative humidity, and 9:15 dark and light. Wandering young larval instars, which are fast growing, large enough in size and considered as more tolerant to modified atmosphere, were collected directly from the rearing culture, placed inside pitted date fruits of vars.: “Khudri,” “Ruziz,” and “Saqie,” were treated with aforementioned gases for 24, 48, and 72 h. The immediate and delayed larval mortality was recorded after each exposure timing. Ozone possessed the strongest fumigant toxicity causing 100% mortality with all varieties, at 25 and 35°C after 24 h exposure and was more effective than 75% CO2 that caused 83 and 100% immediate mortality with variety ruziz at 25 and 35°C, respectively. Extending the treatments exposure time to 72 h, 100% mortality was recorded by exposing larvae to any of the studied gases at 25 and 35°C. These results suggest that gases and temperature used in this study can be effectively used to control E. cautella in dates and stored grains.

Toxicity of Lantana camara Leaf Extracts Against Almond Moth, Cadra cautella (Walker)

The toxicity of various extracts of Lantana camara L. leaves was investigated against Cadra cautella (Walker) eggs, larvae and adults. For eggs and larvae film residue method and for adults specimen tube method was followed, then it was compared with azadirachtin technical (20 %). The toxicity of various extracts on egg, larval and adult mortality was compared. The egg mortality was based on their hatchability. It was observed that through film residue, most of the extracts of L. camara showed higher mortality as compared to azadirachtin. Based on LC50 values methanol fraction of hexane extract (LC-3) and hexane extract of hexane fraction (LC-4) of L. camara were found to be most effective against different stages of C. cautella. The mortality was dose dependent and it increased with increasing concentration. The leaf extracts of L. camara were positively toxic to insects. The effects of various extracts on different stages of C. cautella are discussed.

Comparative effectiveness of different modified atmospheres enriched with carbon dioxide and nitrogen on larval instars of almond moth Ephestia cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of modified atmospheres (MAs) based on either high carbon dioxide (CO2) or high nitrogen (N2) contents at 30 °C in controlling all larval instars of the almond moth Ephestia cautella, a major pest of dried fruits. The tested MAs were 20%, 40%, and 60% CO2 in air, as well as 97% and 98% N2, with different exposure times. Results showed that the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th instar larval mortalities of E. cautella responding to modified atmospheres (MAs) enriched with either CO2 or N2 increased significantly (P < 0.01) with increasing either exposure length or gas concentration. MAs enriched with CO2 were more effective than those containing N2. Three and six days were required to completely kill all larval instars with 60% CO2 and 98% N2, respectively. The 1st and 2nd instar larvae were more susceptible to all tested MAs than the later instars. It is recommended that MAs can be employed for controlling all larval instars of almond moth E. cautella.

Response of green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) to various densities of Ephestia cautella (walk)eggs

Results of exposure larvae of the most important predator in the integrated pest management , the green lacewings, Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) to various densities of fig moth Ephestia cautella eggs showed increasing in the number of consumed prey at decreasing rate of increasing prey density where curve slope consumption decreased gradually until leveling off. These specifications concurred with type II functional response that predators appear towards varied densities of its preys ,that was confirm by logistic regression between the proportion of prey eaten in relation to prey offered . Third larval instars of the predator showed attack rate (a) of 4.85. This was greater than the second larval instar (3.58). Handling time (Th) per prey decreased as the predator aged , it was 0.0046 day for the second larval instar and 0.0041 day for the third larval instars. The greatest theoretical maximum number of moth eggs to be consumed was 244 eggs/day for the third larval instar followed by second larval instars as 217 eggs/day, respectively.

Response of green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) to various densities of Ephestia cautella (walk)eggs

Results of exposure larvae of the most important predator in the integrated pest management , the green lacewings, Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) to various densities of fig moth Ephestia cautella eggs showed increasing in the number of consumed prey at decreasing rate of increasing prey density where curve slope consumption decreased gradually until leveling off. These specifications concurred with type II functional response that predators appear towards varied densities of its preys ,that was confirm by logistic regression between the proportion of prey eaten in relation to prey offered . Third larval instars of the predator showed attack rate (a) of 4.85. This was greater than the second larval instar (3.58). Handling time (Th) per prey decreased as the predator aged , it was 0.0046 day for the second larval instar and 0.0041 day for the third larval instars. The greatest theoretical maximum number of moth eggs to be consumed was 244 eggs/day for the third larval instar followed by second larval instars as 217 eggs/day, respectively.

Almond moth oviposition patterns in continuous layers of peanuts

The spatial distribution of eggs laid over a 48-h period by individual female almond moths, Cadra cautella Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), was examined in bioassays where peanuts covered either the center quarter (quarter-coverage) or the whole (whole-coverage) of a 120-cm square arena gridded into 3 by 3-cm cells. The mean total of eggs laid in quarter-coverage bioassays was not significantly different from the mean in whole-coverage bioassays, i. e., neither food coverage limited oviposition. However, the maximum count of eggs laid in any cell was higher in whole- than in quarter-coverage bioassays, and eggs were more aggregated near edges of the arena in whole-coverage bioassays than near edges of the peanuts in quarter-coverage bioassays. In addition, eggs were aggregated near the release point where females initially encountered food cues. These results suggest that almond moth oviposition behavior in continuous areas of peanuts was similar to patterns observed previously for stored-product insect oviposition in small, scattered food patches. In both cases, females walked or flew between separate oviposition events where eggs were laid in small clumps or lines. Possible behaviors resulting in aggregations of eggs near edges of food, walls, boundaries, or entrances are discussed and implications for precision targeting of insects in food storage areas are considered.