Cadra cautella

(Walker, 1863)

Almond moth, Tropical warehouse moth

Cadra cautella, commonly known as the almond or tropical warehouse moth, is a small stored-product pest in the Pyralidae. It infests flour, bran, oats, and other grains, as well as dried fruits. The is frequently confused with the Indian mealmoth (Plodia interpunctella) and Mediterranean flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella). Males exhibit specialized in response to female plumes, maintaining upwind flight even at high pulse frequencies.

Cadra cautella by (c) Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Cadra cautella male LCR by Birgit E. Rhode, Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Buckler W The larvæ of the British butterflies and moths Plate CLVI by William Buckler. Used under a Public domain license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Cadra cautella: /ˈkædrə kɔːˈtɛlə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

May be confused with Plodia interpunctella (Indian mealmoth) or Ephestia kuehniella (Mediterranean flour moth); specific diagnostic features distinguishing it from these common pantry pests are not provided in available sources.

Images

Habitat

Stored product environment, specifically associated with grain storage facilities and dried food commodities.

Distribution

distribution associated with stored products; records include Faial, Flores, São Miguel, Terceira (Azores), and Galápagos Islands.

Diet

Larvae feed on flour, bran, oats, other grains, and dried fruits. Can complete development on cocoa bean and cocoa powder, with slower development observed on cocoa powder compared to cocoa bean.

Life Cycle

Development slower on cocoa powder compared to cocoa bean; larvae complete development on both cocoa bean and cocoa powder substrates.

Behavior

Males exhibit oriented toward female plumes. In wind tunnel experiments, males increased flight duration and path length in pulsed plumes compared to continuous plumes, with flight tracks becoming more tortuous at higher pulse frequencies. Males maintained upwind flight regardless of plume structure, even at pulse frequencies up to 25 filaments per second.

Ecological Role

Notable stored product pest causing detrimental loss on stored cocoa and other dried commodities.

Human Relevance

Significant pest of stored food products including grains, flour, and dried fruits. risk higher for cocoa powder than cocoa bean based on development rate studies.

Similar Taxa

Plodia interpunctellaAlso a common pantry pest; frequently confused with C. cautella in identification.
Ephestia kuehniellaMediterranean flour moth, another common stored product pest that resembles C. cautella.

More Details

Reproductive physiology

The bursa copulatrix plays a role in oosorption, the process of resorption where developed are broken down and resorbed rather than being laid. Staining studies showed a direct correlation between stain intensity in the bursa copulatrix and the number of oocytes digested.

Pheromone response mechanism

Unlike some tortricid moths that are inhibited by homogeneous clouds, C. cautella males maintain upwind progress even at plume frequencies of 25 filaments per second, suggesting either enhanced sensory resolution or reduced dependence on signal flickering for orientation.