Scientific name: Ephestia cautella Family: Pyralidae Order: Lepidoptera Risk level: High Category: Flying pest
? What is the date and cocoa moth
Scientific name: Ephestia cautella
Family: Pyralidae
Order: Lepidoptera
Risk level: High
Category: Flying pest
The date moth (Ephestia cautella) is the stored-product moth most relevant to the Arabian Gulf. It infests dates, cocoa, cashews, tobacco and tropical grains. It is a major pest in date warehouses in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq.
Life cycle of the date and cocoa moth
It undergoes complete metamorphosis. Eggs are laid directly on food, and the larva is the damaging stage. A full generation takes 4–8 weeks. Multiple generations may breed in an infested warehouse.
Distribution of the date and cocoa moth
It occurs in food warehouses worldwide and is common in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, especially in hot warehouses.
Damage and risks associated with the date and cocoa moth
It contaminates date products—one of the Gulf’s most important agricultural industries—and causes major economic losses. It also contaminates cocoa and nuts with droppings and silken threads.
Signs of a date and cocoa moth infestation
Signs include adult moths around light sources; larvae and silken threads in food; droppings and hollow grains caused by weevils and beetles; and small white eggs on food.
Where date and cocoa moths are found
They infest stored and packaged dates, cocoa, dried cashews and tobacco, particularly in warm, dry warehouses.
Date and cocoa moth control methods
Monitor with pheromone traps. Spray the warehouse with pyrethroids. Fumigate stored products with phosphine or methyl bromide. For physical control, lower the temperature below 10°C or raise it above 55°C. Rotate stock using FIFO.
Date and cocoa moth control products
Pyrethroids for warehouses, phosphine (PH₃) for fumigation, deltamethrin for residual spraying and diatomaceous earth for grain.
Requirements for controlling date and cocoa moths in food facilities
FSSC 22000 Version 7: stored-product pests are high priority. Pheromone traps with weekly documentation are mandatory. BRCGS: stored-product pests in a product constitute a major Non-Conformance.
A fact about the date and cocoa moth
Ephestia cautella is among the pests recorded by early Arab scholars in date warehouses centuries ago. Date pests were mentioned in old Islamic agricultural manuscripts as part of agricultural-storage management.
Frequently asked questions about the date and cocoa moth
Q: How do stored-product pests enter a facility?
A: Usually through incoming shipments. Carefully inspect samples from each shipment and quarantine new purchases.
Q: Is a low temperature enough to eliminate stored-product pests?
A: Yes. Temperatures below 10°C for two weeks stop reproduction and kill vulnerable stages. Temperatures below −18°C for three days kill all stages
