page_title: Cadra figulilella
section_title: Host plant preferences and selection
hierarchical_section_title: Cadra figulilella / Food resources / Caterpillars / Host plant preferences and selection
caption_attribution_description: Mullberry
context_page_description: Cadra figulilella, the raisin moth, is a moth of the family Pyralidae. The raisin moth is known most commonly as a pest that feeds on dried fruits, such as the raisin and date. It covers a range that includes much of the world, primarily situating itself in areas of California, Florida, the Eastern Mediterranean region, and some parts of Africa, Australia, and South America. The moth prefers to live in a hot, arid climate with little moisture and plentiful harvest for its larvae to feed on. Study of this species is important due to the vast amount of economic damage it causes yearly and worldwide to agriculture crops.
  Adult raisin moths have a life span of 11–16 days and devote most of their resources to reproduction. Eggs are laid on or near the fruit and larvae immediately begin boring and infesting the fruit. Fumigation after harvest does not save infested fruits, as the pest has already dug into the fruit and spoiled it.
  The mating process consists of pheromone release by both the male and female moths as well as many other copulatory rituals that function to prevent interspecies mating. Copulation consists of specific head bump technique paired with thrusting behavior.
context_section_description: The raisin moth is a polyphagous insect, meaning that it feeds on a large variety of different fruits. The larvae in particular are herbivorous and prefer to feed on dry fruits on the ground or still on the plant. In particular they feed on fallen figs, ripe carob pods, grapes, cottonseed cake, cacao beans, prunes, peaches, apricots, pears, and more. In the springtime, they primarily feed on fallen mulberries because other host fruits are often scarce. However, they can be found year-round in decaying date fruit.
caption: Mullberries
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