Biology of Angoumois Grain Moth, Sitotroga cerealella Olivier on Sorghum
Abstract
The Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella Olivier is one of the most serious pests of sorghum at post-harvest. The experiment was carried out at Biocontrol Laboratory, Department of Entomology, N. M. College of Agriculture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari during the period from June to November, 2025 to study the biology of the Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella Olivier on sorghum. The study revealed that the incubation period, total larval and pupal period, pre-oviposition, oviposition and post-oviposition period of Angoumois grain moth were 4.42 ± 1.03 days, 26.00 ± 1.89 days, 1.95 ± 0.78 days, 3.03 ± 0.77 and 4.28 ± 1.01 days, respectively. The average hatching percentage of egg was 87.57 ± 4.74%. The average number of eggs laid by a female moth was 100.23 ± 35.87 eggs per female. The average longevity of female moth was 9.35 ± 1.03 days while male moth lived for 7.10 ± 0.77 days. The total life cycle of female and male of S. cerealella were 43.17 ± 2.74 days and 38.30 ± 2.41 days, respectively.
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Introduction
Sorghum is a significant cereal crop that is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates worldwide. For millions of people, it is a staple food, especially in Asia and Africa, where it is a vital source of nutrition and energy. Globally, the United States leads in sorghum production with 9,957 MT while India ranks fourth with 4,600 MT (Anonymous, 2025). According to Oganja et al. (2024), it covered over 0.4 lakh hectares in Gujarat and produced 0.5 lakh tonnes annually with a productivity of 1378 kg per ha in 2023-2024. After rice and wheat, sorghum comes in third place in terms of area and production. Nutritionally, sorghum is rich in carbohydrates, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals and it is gluten-free, making it a valuable food source (Hariprasanna and Patil, 2015).
Storage losses are affected by several factors which can be classified into two main categories: biotic factors (insect pests, rodents and fungi) and abiotic factors (temperature, humidity and rain). Among all the biotic factors, insect pests are considered the most important and cause huge losses in the cereal grains (30% - 40%) (Kumar, 2017). The most important pests affecting grains are found within the order Lepidoptera, S. cerealella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) which is a serious pest affecting grains (Boshra, 2007). Infestation of this pest starts in the field itself and immature stages from the field infestation complete their life cycle and emerge as adults in storage (Reed et al., 2002). After entering the grain, the larva feeds internally and subsequently turns around to seal the entry point by spinning a silken web over the opening. Infested grains are typically hollow inside and filled with larval excreta or silken webs with a circular opening left for the emergence of adult moths. Germination is severely affected after infestation (Ahmad et al., 2021).
Conclusion
Sitotroga cerealella exhibits a complete internal feeding life cycle on sorghum grains. It undergoes four larval instars within the grain, progressing through a concealed developmental phase that includes pre-pupal and obtect pupal stages inside a silken cocoon. Overall, it completes its life cycle in approximately 39 to 48 days with females exhibiting a slightly longer developmental duration and higher longevity, highlighting its strong reproductive potential and significant capacity for internal grain damage under storage conditions.
Recommendations:
- Monitoring: Based on the life cycle duration (39-48 days), monitoring programs should be scheduled at regular intervals to detect early infestations.
- Management: The extended larval period inside the grain (23-29 days) indicates that chemical control measures should target adult stages before oviposition.
- Storage Practices: Since infestation starts in the field, harvest should be done promptly and grains should be properly dried (below 13% moisture) to prevent infestation.
- Future Research: Studies on host preference among different sorghum varieties, impact of temperature and humidity on life cycle parameters, and development of eco-friendly management strategies are recommended.
References
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