# Smoke moth Ephestia elutella (Hübner, 1796) (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae).

Carlos Henrique Marchiori¹

¹ Instituto Federal Goiano

**Potential competing interests:** No potential competing interests to declare.

**Affected Crops:** Cocoa, corn, Infests stored cocoa beans, tobacco leaves, dried fruits, nuts, cereals, and their products. It is associated with another species *Anagasta kuehniella* (Zeller, 1879) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). It is considered an important pest of stored cocoa. Very common in tropical and temperate climates. It is a pest of great importance as it damages flour, ground cereals, cocoa. Its life cycle is 50 or 90 days under ideal temperature conditions (Figure 1) [1-5].

<figure><img src="image_1.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 1.** Egg, pupa larva and adults *Ephestia*</figcaption></figure>

*elutella* (Hübner, 1796) (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae). Source: https://www.sorhocam.com/tag.asp?sid=7171&ephestia-elutella-hubn-nedir.html.

The female lays 200 to 300 eggs on or near the almonds. The incubation period is approximately 4 to 12 days. Caterpillars reach up to 15 mm in length. After hatching, they attack the almonds, where they find easy penetration. Inside they weave a silky tube, where they remain until their development is complete. Caterpillars that do not find this easy penetration end up dying because they are unable to pierce the almond shell. The larval stage lasts about 32 days [5-7].

After the larval period ends, the larvae emerge from the almonds and form pupae in dark places. They leave a trail of silken threads that form a tangle on the walls of heavily infested warehouses. The pupa period lasts about 7 days. Adults are grayish and have a wingspan of 20 mm. They have three white transverse striations on the forewings, one at the apex and two others dividing the wing into three parts, with the central one standing out as it is lighter. Longevity is
<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

approximately 15 days. They attack many cereals and their products, damaging quality, and quantity. The greatest damage is caused to cocoa beans and palm trees [8-10] (Figure 2).

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

UGA1435007

<caption>**Figure 2.** Tobacco moth *Ephestia elutella* (Hübner, 1796) (Lepidoptera larva. Source: Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series.</caption>

Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply has two pesticides registered to control this pest in tobacco cultivation, aluminum, or magnesium phosphide (Phosphine), classified as extremely toxic and highly dangerous to the environment, and the biological control agent *Habrobacon hebetor* (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) which is a phytosanitary product with approved use for organic agriculture. This wasp is widely studied due to its great potential as a biological control agent for pests in stored products [[8-10].

References

[1] *Ephestia elutella* on polished rice grains [Internet]. Porto Alegre: Agronomica; @2012 [cited 2024]. Available from https://agronomicabr.com.br/agriporticus/132.

[2] Zorzenon FJ. Moths in the urban environment [Internet]. São Paulo: Instituto Biológico; @2007 [cited 2024 Mar]. Available from http://www.biologico.agricultura.sp.gov.br/publicacoes/comunicados-documentos-tecnicos/comunicados-tecnicos/tracas-no-ambiente-urbano.

[3] Bosik JJ, et al. Common names of insects & related organisms. 1st ed. Annapolis: Entomological Society of America. 1997.

[4] Arnett Jr RH. American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico. CRC Press. 2000.
[5] Borror DJ, Triplehorn CA, Johnson NF. An Introduction to the Study of Insects. 1sted. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers. 1989.

[6] Bosik JJ, et al. Common names of insects & related organisms. 1st ed. Annapolis: Entomological Society of America. 1997.

[7] Mound L. Common insect pests of stored food products. A guide to their identification. British Museum Natural History. 1st ed. London: Economic Series 15. 1989.

[8] Rauber MI, Pezzini C, Köhler A. Characterization, and level of damage caused by *Ephestia* spp. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and *Lasioderma serricorne* (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) in dried tobacco [Internet]. Santa Cruz do Sul: Unic; 2023 [cited 2024] Available from https://online.unisc.br/acadnet/anais/index.php/mostraextensaounisc.

[9] Branco CB, Amaral PST. Insecticides to control diamondback moths: how do farmers use them in the Federal District? Horticulture. 2002; 20(3): 410-41.

[10] Aggostinetto D. Use of personal protective equipment and pesticide poisoning among tobacco growers in the city of Pelotas-RS. Pesticides: Revista de Ecotoxicologia e Meio Ambiente. 1998; 8: 45-56.