WHITE – SHOULDERED  HOUSE MOTH (Endrosis sarcitrella L)

PEST NAME :  WHITE – SHOULDERED  HOUSE MOTH
(Endrosis sarcitrella L)

SIZE, SHAPE AND COLOUR :  7 to 9mm.  Pale gold wings flecked with dark brown, fine fringes of  hairs at wing tips, antennae usually held tucked along body, very distinctive white head and shoulders.

BIOLOGY :  200 eggs laid in groups in vicinity of larval food material. 7 to 25 days eggs hatch at preferred temperature of 30oc.  Larvae reach full size in  5 months and migrate away to pupate in silk tunnels often amongst food material and sometimes on walls and in  the fabric of the building.  The adult moths hatch some  5 weeks later and live a further 2 to 3 weeks.

PREFERRED FOODS :  Any stored cereal foodstuff and commonly in material originating from birds’  nests.

HABITAT :  Ships holds, food  warehouses, especially provender mills when not kept clean.  Are  associated with poor hygiene when found.