Behavior and movements of Indian meal moths ( Plodia interpunctella Hübner) during commodity infestation

• Published in: Journal of stored products research Vol. 39; no. 2; pp. 171 - 184
• Main Authors: Silhacek, D, Murphy, C, Arbogast, R.T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2003; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Egg laying; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Indian meal moth; Invertebrates; Mating behavior; Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control; Moth behavior; Moth distribution; Moth movement; Pests of stored products; Plodia interpunctella; Spatial analysis; Indian meal moth; Mating behavior; Egg laying; Moth distribution; Spatial analysis; Plodia interpunctella; Moth behavior; Moth movement; Scotophase; Warehouse; Insecta; Environmental factor; Male; Mating; Pest; Pyralidae; Controlled environment study; Photophase; Pest behavior; Female; Sex pheromone; Sexual behavior; Stored food product; Photoperiod; Animal active movement; Arthropoda; Lepidoptera; Invertebrata; Egg laying behavior; Infestation; Semiochemicals
• ISSN: 0022-474X; 1879-1212
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-474X(01)00051-0

A model warehouse with carefully regulated environmental conditions was used to study the behavior of adult Indian meal moths during commodity infestation. Sequences of moth distributions in the warehouse, calculated by spatial analysis, clearly showed the coordinated movements of moth populations from eclosion to death. Many facets of adult behavior in a warehouse were coordinated with the photoperiod. Adult moths emerged at the end of a photophase and fairly rapidly moved to the walls and, to a lesser extent, to the undersides of the commodity pallets. Most females are mated in the first 24 h after emergence, largely during the scotophase. Air circulation within the warehouse probably compromised pheromone-directed guidance of males to females, although pheromones may still have a major role in regulating other aspects of male mating behavior. When mating subsided, many of the males flew upwind to the air circulating unit, but only during the photophases. The females moved to the return air side of the warehouse and then migrated towards the same end as the males, but only during the scotophases. They moved from pallet to pallet largely by walking on the warehouse floor and laid eggs in or on the cups of commodity. Direct oviposition on the commodity during the infestation period was lower than expected, probably because commodity odors were dissipated by air circulation and did not provide appropriate orientation. At 144 h after emergence, 90% of the moth population had died.