Tobacco moth

Ephestia elutella

1. Identification

• Common name: Tobacco moth
• Scientific name: Ephestia elutella Hübner
• Order: Lepidoptera
• Family: Pyralidae

2. Pest description

• Whitish to pinkish caterpillars, with a brown head, reaching 10–15 mm.
• Small adults, with greyish forewings and a discreet pattern; wingspan of 12–18 mm.
• Species associated with stored products, including tobacco, cocoa, dried fruits and cereals.
• Caterpillars build fine webs that aggregate particles and residues, contaminating the products.

3. Main hosts

• Stored tobacco.
• Cocoa, coffee, dried fruits, cereals and flours.
• Packaged or bulk products in warehouses and processing units.

4. Symptoms and damage

• Presence of fine webs and particle aggregates on the products.
• Perforations and direct consumption of tobacco, grains or dried fruits.
• Contamination by excrement, webs and insect fragments.
• Significant economic losses in warehouses and processing industries.

5. Biological cycle

• Eggs laid directly on the stored products.
• Caterpillars develop over 3–6 weeks, depending on temperature.
• Pupation in silken cocoons attached to surfaces or inside the products.
• Adults emerge throughout the year in heated environments; several generations per year.

6. Monitoring

• Visual inspection of webs, caterpillars and residues on the stored products.
• Pheromone traps for detecting adults and tracking population dynamics.
• Periodic assessment of stored batches, especially under high temperature conditions.
• Monitoring of critical points in warehouses, silos and processing units.

7. Management measures

• Cultural: rigorous cleaning of warehouses, removal of residues and stock rotation.
• Preventive: control of temperature and humidity; inspection of raw materials on arrival.
• Biological: use of pheromones for monitoring and, where applicable, mating disruption techniques.
• Integrated protection: judicious application of insecticides authorised for stored products, integration with good hygiene practices and stock management.

Bibliographic references

• CABI – Invasive Species Compendium – Ephestia elutella.
• EPPO Global Database – Ephestia elutella.
• Alford, D. V. (2007). Pest and Disease Management Handbook. Blackwell Publishing.
• Sedlacek, J. D. et al. (1996). Biology and control of stored‑product moths. Journal of Stored Products Research, 32, 199–208.
• Phillips, T. W. et al. (2000). Monitoring and management of stored‑product Lepidoptera. Integrated Pest Management Reviews, 5, 1–13.