Ephestia kuehniella

Ephestia kuehniella

Short pest overview:

Ephestia kuehniella is a storage pest that affects many cereals, including wheat (grain, bran, flour, meal, semolina), maize, rice, sorghum, oats and barley. It also attacks nuts (e.g. almonds), date palms, carob pods, fruits and flowers, pollen, leaves, roots (dried), biscuits, human food and animal feed.


Geographic Distribution:

It is probably native to Turkey, Asia, but has been transported widely, even to France.


Life Cycle:

The females lay 75% of their eggs in 48 hours, at 20°C - 23°C. The structure of the chorion and the remarkable resistance of the eggs to abiotic factors, at this stage of development, it's a good scope for adaptation in this species. Embryonic development takes 8 days at a constant 20°C. The complete cycle, from egg-laying to adult emergence, will take place within 60 days at 20°C for individuals fed exclusively on hard wheat semolina.