Moths almond

Identification of 9,12-tetradecadienyl (9,12-14) compounds began with studies on two cosmopolitan pests of stored products, the almond moth (Cadra cmtella, Pyralidae Phycitinae) and the Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella, Phycitinae) [38,39]. This 9,12-14 structure has been reported from another 13 Pyralidae (only in Phycitinae) species and 11 Noctuidae species (9 species in Amphipyrinae, and 1 species each in Hadeninae and Plusiinae). These two families, however, are not closely related. Most likely, the females classified in distant groups happened to produce the same chemical in the train of their perpetual evolution of modifying the original systems for pheromone biosynthesis. The 5,7-dodecadienyl (5,7-12) structure is a carbon skeleton common... 

Low levels of resistance have been reported for some populations of Indian meal moth, almond moth, and red flour beetle populations in stored peanuts in the southeastern United States (Zettler et al., 1989), but no assessments are available for phosphine resistance in insect populations in mills, warehouses, processing plants, and other structural facilities. Phosphine can be corrosive to metals, particularly copper, electrical wiring, and electronic equipment (Bond et al., 1984), which limits its application in food processing facilities and warehouses. A new formulation of phosphine, in which phosphine gas is combined with carbon dioxide and released from a cylinder, alleviates some but not all of the corrosive effects of phosphine and is labeled for use as a structural treatment. 

An aerosol formulation of the insect growth regulator hydroprene (Gen-trol) was labeled several years ago for use in the United States. There are no research reports with hydroprene aerosol, except for Bell and Edwards (1998), which describe a study conducted in Great Britain. In this study, aerosol applications of hydroprene (Protrol) prevented the development of eggs of the red flour beetle, T. castaneum, the confused flour beetle, T. confusum, and the almond moth, C. cautella, that had been placed in exposed dishes with food media. 

The status of resistance of stored-product insects to any of the aerosols used in the United States is uncertain, and no new assessments of resistance have been conducted in recent years. Indianmeal moth, P. interpunctella, and almond moth, C. cautella, populations in peanut warehouses in the southeastern United States showed low levels of resistance to dichlorvos (Arthur et al., 1988), but reflected an increase relative to earlier studies (Zettler, 1982). In other studies, 24% of red flour beetle and 64% of confused flour beetle populations collected from flour mills were resistant to dichlorvos (Zettler, 1991). 

Currently there are few insecticides registered as surface treatments to control stored-product insects. For years the organophosphate insecticide malathion was used as a surface treatment for structural facilities, but stored-product insects throughout the world have developed extensive resistance to malathion (Subramanyam and Hagstrum, 1996). Most of the resistance reports were generated from studies with bulk grains, but in the United States, resistance has been documented for field populations of the red flour beetle, T. castaneum (Herbst), and the confused flour beetle, T. confusum (DuVal), collected from flour mills (Arthur and Zettler, 1991, 1992 Zettler, 1991). Populations of the Indianmeal moth, the almond moth, and the red flour beetle collected from bulk peanuts and empty warehouses were also highly resistant to malathion (Arthur et al., 1988 Halliday et al., 1988). 

Arthur, F.H., Zettler, J.L., and Halliday, W.R. 1988. Insecticide resistance among populations of almond moth and Indianmeal moth (Lepidoptera Pyralidae) in stored peanuts. J. Econ. Entomol. 

Brower, J.H. 1984. The natural occurrence of the egg parasite, Trichogramma, on almond moth eggs in peanut storages in Georgia. J. Georgia Entomol. 19, 283-290. 

Brower, J.H. 1988. Population suppression of the almond moth and the indianmeal moth (Lepidoptera Pyralidae) by release of Trichogramma pretiosum (Hymenoptera Trichogrammatidae) into simulated peanut storages. J. Econ. Entomol. 81, 944-948. 

Cline, L.D. and Press, J.W. 1990. Reduction in almond moth (Lepidoptera Pyralidae) infestations using commercial packaging of foods in combination with the parasitic wasp, Bracon hebetor (Hymenoptera Braconidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 83, 1110-1113. 

Cogbum, R.R. and Vick, K.W. 1981. Distribution of angoumois grain moth, almond moth, and indian meal moth in rice fields and rice storage in Texas as indicated by pheromone-baited adhesive traps. Environ. Entomol. 10, 1003-1007. 

McGaughey, W.H. 1982. Evaluation of commercial formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis for control of Indianmeal moth and almond moth in stored inshell peanuts. J. Econ. Entomol. 75, 754-757. 

Kuwahara, Y., Kitamura, C., Takahashi, S., , H., Ishii, S. and Fukami, H. (1971). Sex pheromone of the almond moth and the Indian meal moth cis-9, trans-12-tetradecadienyl acetate. Science 171 801-802. 

T. ni, it does not, so for each moth it must be demonstrated. In the case of the almond moth and beet armyworm, decapitation, which removes the source of PBAN, after 24 h causes pheromone titers to decline from about 10 ng/gland of the diene to about 0.5 ng/gland (Jurenka, 1997). Administration of exogenous PBAN stimulates pheromone production to normal levels within 3 h. Addition of the labeled precursor directly to the pheromone gland in dimethyl sulfoxide followed immediately by PBAN to decapitated females helped ensure that the label became incorporated into the pheromone. 

Figure 3.2 A. Possible biosynthetic pathways for producing the sex pheromone components Z9-14 OAc and Z9,E12-14 OAc in the almond moth. The Z9-14 CoA and Z9,E12-14 CoA derivatives are reduced and acetylated to make the acetate esters. B. The biosynthetic pathway as determined by deuterium labeling studies presented in Figure 3.3.

Figure 3.3 Partial GC/MS chromatograms of pheromone gland extracts obtained from female almond moths that were treated with the indicated deuterium-labeled fatty acid. To determine incorporation into the pheromone, single ions were monitored corresponding to (M+)-60 of Z9-14 OAc (197) and Z9,E12-140Ac (195) plus the number of deuteriums present in the precursor. The latter are shown in bold. Control glands were also analyzed to demonstrate that the ions representing labeling were absent (data not shown). The peak eluting just before Z9-14 OAc was tentatively identified as E11-14 OAc.

Both the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella, and the almond moth, Cadra cautella, utilize (, Ej-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate as a primary sex pheromone (92, 93). In addition, (Z -9-tetradecen-l-ol has been identified as part of the sex pheromone of C. cautella (94). Significantly, attraction of almond moth males to their females is strongly inhibited in the presence of Indian meal moth females (95). These results emphasize the probable presence of secondary components in the sex pheromone blend that may play key roles in jamming the olfactory responses of closely-related and sympatric species. 

Press, J.W., Cline, C.D. and Flaherty, B.R. (1982) A comparison of two parasitoids, Bra-con hebetor and Venturia canescens and a predator, Xylocoris flavipes in suppressing residual populations of the almond moth, Ephestia cautella. Journal of Kansas Entomological Society 55, 725-728. 

Several members of the family Phycitidae share the same pheromone, and field studies involving several of these moths have been carried out. Reichmuth et al. (613) showed the utility of pheromone traps for early detection of the tobacco moth, Ephestia elutella, and the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella. Sower et al. (614, 615) showed that mating frequency of the Indian meal moth and the almond moth, E. cautella, was effectively reduced at low population densities. Wheatley (107) and Haines (617) also reported that mating frequency of the almond moth was reduced, and that detection and survey traps would be feasible and very useful for this pest and several related species. 

Sower, L. L., W. K. Turner, and J. C. Fish Population-density-dependent mating frequency among Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera Phycitidae) in the presence of synthetic sex pheromones with behavioral observations. J. Chem. Ecol. 1,335—342 (1975). Sower, L. L., and G. P. Whitmer Population growth and mating success of Indian meal moths and almond moths in the presence of synthetic sex pheromones. Envir. Entomol. 6,17—20(1977). 

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