Comparative life history and demographic parameters of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on maize and oat flours

Abstract

Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), Mediterranean flour moth, is a major pest of stored food products, causing significant economic losses. Understanding the life history and population dynamics of E. kuehniella is crucial for developing effective pest management strategies and improving the sustainability of the food industry. In this study, we conducted an age-stage, two-sex life table analysis of E. kuehniella reared on maize and oat flours. The aim of the study was to compare the demographic parameters of the E. kuehniella populations reared on the two different types of flour including maize in laboratory conditions at 26 ± 1 °C, 60 ± 5% R.H., and a 16:8 (light: dark) photoperiod. Our findings suggest that while the flour type had a minor effect, there was no significant impact on the developmental time, survival rate, fecundity, and population growth rate of E. kuehniella. However, adult female longevity was significantly longer in the maize flour group compared to the oat flour group. The pre-adult survival rate was higher in the maize flour group (83%) than the oat flour group (72%). Additionally, our results indicate that fecundity of the E. kuehniella was slightly higher on oat flour than on maize flour, while the population growth rate was similar on both flours. Our results demonstrated that the larvae fed with maize flour consumed a significantly higher amount of flour (394 mg) than those fed with oat flour (278 mg). Furthermore, after 120 days of simulation the population growth projection of E. kuehniella was twice as high in oat flour compared to maize flour. These findings suggest that both maize and oat flours are susceptible to E. kuehniella infestation, which has important implications for the development of effective pest management strategies and the sustainability of the food industry.