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Almond moth

Almond moth

Cadra cautella

A species of Cadra, Also known as Dried currant moth

Almond moth is a storage pest. They are listed as harmful quarantine pests for some countries. It limits the sale and exportation of Khodari dates.

General Info About Almond moth
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Attributes of Almond moth
Colors
Brown
Habitat
dry goods
Adult Food Sources
Flower nectar, sap, honeydew, other sugary substances
Larva Food Source
Dried fruits, nuts, grains, cereal products, cacao beans
Non-poisonous
The Almond moth is non-toxic and generally doesn't pose a risk to human health. No need for excessive worry.
Borer
The Almond moth can bore into the wood and may damage its structure, or even harm the health of trees. Stay alert if you frequently observe it in your house.
Pollinator
Not reported
Pest-Eating Predatory
Not reported
Phytophagous
Not reported
Predatory
Not reported
Biting animal or pet
Not reported
Mouthparts Type
Siphoning mouthparts
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Life Cycle of Almond moth
Egg The eggs of almond moth are usually laid in clusters and are characterized by their small size and oval shape. The color can vary but tends to be pale or translucent, making them hard to detect on host surfaces.
Larva In this stage, almond moth appears as a caterpillar with a primary focus on feeding for growth. It exhibits a worm-like body, with size and color changing as it molts through different instars.
Pupal The almond moth enters a quiescent state within a cocoon or chrysalis. During this time, the larval body is reorganized into the adult form. The pupa may show color changes as development progresses.
Adult Emerging from the pupa, the adult almond moth’s development is marked by the presence of wings and functional reproductive organs. The body is fully formed and hardened, and the adult is mobile, focusing on reproduction.
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Adult Size of Almond moth
1 - 2 cm
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Predators of Almond moth Larvae
Frogs, toads, birds, geckos
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Predators of Adult Almond moth
Birds, bats, spiders, mantises
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Interesting Facts About Almond moth
Almond moth can navigate dark environments by sensing changes in the Earth's magnetic field, a trait less common in the insect world.
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Scientific Classification of Almond moth
Tips for Finding Almond moth
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How Can You Attract Almond moth
A pheromone trap is effective to attract adult almond moth, as it lures them using the species-specific scent. For larvae, bait stations with appropriate food attractants such as dried fruits or nuts can be used.
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Habitat Preferences of Almond moth Through Different Life Stages
During the egg stage, almond moth is usually found on dried fruits, nuts, and grains, since the females lay their eggs on these foods. As larvae, they are commonly located inside these food materials, burrowing and feeding within. Pupation typically occurs within the larval food source or in a crevice nearby. Adults are often caught around human food storage facilities, mills, and pantries where they seek mates and suitable locations to lay eggs. To search for almond moth in all stages, inspect bags of grains, nuts, and preserved fruits, checking for larvae and webbing, and look for adults near potential food sources and light sources at night.
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When is the Best Time to Observe Almond moth
The best time to find adult almond moth is usually at night when they are most active. However, larvae can be found at any time within infested products.
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What is the Best Weather to Observe Almond moth
Adult almond moth prefer warm and dry conditions for flying. Therefore, low humidity and mild temperatures can increase the likelihood of finding them.
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How and Where Can You Find Almond moth at Different Life Stages
Egg Almond moth eggs are minuscule and often laid in clusters within food products like grains or nuts. To find them, examine food storage areas and inspect products closely for small clusters of whitish eggs.
Larva Larvae of almond moth may be found in stored food products. Look for them by examining stored grains, cereals, and dried fruits for webbing and frass, as well as the larvae themselves which will be worm-like and pale in color.
Pupal Pupae of almond moth are found within silken cocoons in the debris of food products or in crevices. Locate them by checking the corners and crevices of food storage areas and by sifting through infested products.
Adult Adult almond moth can be found through the use of pheromone traps or by searching in areas with artificial light sources at night, as they are attracted to light.
Are Almond moth harmful?
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Almond moth can bore into foods.

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Where do Almond moth come from?

Entering indoor spaces passively. When food is moved, the pest eggs and larvae are taken with the food to enter homes.
Attracted by food sources. Adult almond moth barely eats anything. But they like to lay eggs next to food sources so once the larvae hatch, they have something to feed on, and the larva survival rate is increased.
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What is the most effective prevention against Almond moth?

Cut off the inward passage. Keep a habit to close doors and windows as you go and repair and seal the cracks on the surface of your house timely to keep pests away.
Seal all the solid food. Keep all the dried food in sealed containers to prevent storage pests from outside from entering and infesting the food. It can also confine those pests that are already in the food inside the container and stop them from spreading further.
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Keep the food and the pantry dry. High humidity is crucial for storage pests, which breed much more seriously under a humid condition compared to a dry setting. Moist food also emits a smell that's highly seductive to pests.
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How to get rid of Almond moth?

Discard stored food that has insects in it. Once you find food has insects in it, pack and discard it directly without hesitation. Note that the shorter the time that food with insects stays at home, the better.
Clean the storage room thoroughly. You can wipe and clean food storage room with soap and hot water, or you can wipe it with vinegar and peppermint oil. Everywhere should be checked, the corners and lower surfaces of the cupboards, as well as the walls, floors, doors, and other storage racks.
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Clean other containers. Many plastic containers and glass containers containing food in the storage room should be cleaned. It is an indispensable step.
Reduce the humidity. Keeping the dry extent of dry storage is an important method for effective avoidance of multiple storage pests.
Low-temperature refrigeration. Putting the suspicious dry storage into the refrigerator for freezing of several days could kill the larva and eggs therein.
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Place a sticky trap. You can buy this product in stores. It can stick to a variety of storage pests.
Use a vacuum cleaner. A vacuum cleaner can effectively suck away pests and eggs which are easy to be neglected.
Use insecticide. Fumigating grains with phosphine could control the occurrence of almond moth.
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Biological control. Many parasitic wasps in the natural world could control the population quantity of almond moth, these parasitic wasps could pierce the eggs or larva of almond moth, and leave their descendants therein to absorb the nutrition development of almond moth, and kill almond moth in this process. In South Africa, the method of Habrobracon hebetor release in large amounts has been employed to control almond moth.
Control the air composition of the warehouse. Equipment may be used in large commercial storage warehouses to reduce the oxygen concentration and increase the carbon dioxide concentration in the warehouse so as to restrain the growth and development of stored grain insects.
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Harmful Effects of Almond moth
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Stored Produce Pest

Almond moth larvae are notorious for their severe impact on stored products, especially grains, dried fruits, nuts, and preserved foods. Infestation of these items leads to contamination with larvae and webbing, making the products unfit for consumption and creating significant losses. The larvae's feeding and development require protein and fat, which they obtain from these stored items, causing spoilage and economic damage. This risk elevates the importance of rigorous pest management in storage systems.

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Agricultural Pests

The larval stage of almond moth can cause mild to severe damage to stored agricultural products such as dried fruits and nuts. Infestation can lead to loss of seed viability and spoilage of processed foods, with major consequences for food supply and quality. In severe cases, high pest numbers can lead to significant economic losses.

More Effects of Almond moth

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