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Pest Management Priducts Division of CSPA
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Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella
Small moth approximately 6-7 mm in length with a wingspan of 14-20 mm. Wings are copperish in color and they are active fliers at night. The adults commonly rest with their abdomens raised in the air. The larvae are the damaging stage of this pest, they feed on many dried food products and contaminate it with frass and webbing. In large infestations the webbing can encompass the entire surface of the food source. Larvae are caterpillars and are whitish to pink to brown and average 13 mm when mature. Mature larvae can be seen wandering near the food source in search of a location to pupate, once a suitable location is found they spin a loose cocoon.
Sawtoothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis
Adults are very active, small brown elongated beetles averaging 2.5 mm in length. Adults have a flattened body and both the adults and larvae are destructive, adults do not fly. Commonly found in dry pet foods including birdseed. Larvae are small, elongate, yellowish white with a brown head.
Red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum
More robust than Sawtoothed grain beetles, adults are flattened, reddish in color, and averages 3.5 mm in length. Larvae are elongate yellowish white with a brown head. The adults are weak fliers. Both adults and larvae feed on a wide variety of foodstuffs including cereals, flour, corn meal, dried peas and beans and many other dried food products. These pests are long lived and there are reports that the adults can live as long as three years.
Larder beetle Trogoderma lardarius
This beetle belongs to a family of very destructive pests called Dermestidae, the members of this beetle family prefer dried animal proteins and have been known to destroy valuable artifacts. They can be a domestic pest feeding on animal mounts, furs, and wool carpet.
The adults of this beetle are robust, ovoid, 6-10mm in length and are a mottled gray to black in coloration. The larvae are elongate amber colored and hairy, when fully grown range from 10-15mm in length. Both the larvae and adults are destructive. They primarily feed on dried animal food stuffs such as dried fish, beef and cheese. They can also damage processed animal skins such a furs and leather.