ABSTRACT
The first section of this chapter discusses stored-product moth pests and is further broken down into primary and secondary colonizing moths. The second section deals with stored-product psocid pests. Grain and grain products occasionally are infested with very small insects known as Psocoptera or psocids. Psocids feed on a variety of organic matter and are considered pests mainly because of their presence and not the damage they cause. Psocids are small soft-bodied insects with long antennae, chewing mouthparts, and may be winged or wingless. Psocids also cause economic damage in the food processing industry and create possible health concerns by transferring micro-organisms and contaminating food products with feces and carcasses. The wide range of food types for these moths and their adaptability to storage environments, where large concentrations of food are accumulated, are undoubtedly the reasons for their success. Plodia interpunctella is the most widely distributed of all moths infesting stored foods.
