SUSCEPTIBILITY OF PRODUCTS OF CHOCOLATE I NDUSTRY TO THE ATTACK OF EPHESTIA-CAUTELLA (WALKER) AND PLODIA-INTERPUNCTELLA (HUBNER) (PYRALIDAE, PHYCITINAE)

Results concerning the susceptibility of different products used in ch ocolate industry to the attack of Ephestia cautella (Walk.) and Plodia interpunctella (Hbn.) are reported. The most: suitable substrates to both species are hazelnuts, raw and toasted, as well as chocolate with hazelnuts; the highest index of susceptibility was recorded on raw ha zelnuts. 33.7% of E. cautella larvae can become adults feeding on choc olate dough with hazelnuts, which however is nor: suitable to P. inter punctella development; in fact only 2.7% of larvae succeeded in becomi ng adult. The least suitable substrates for both species were puffed r ice and chocolate with rice dough. 44% of larvae of E. cautella and 28 % of those ones of P. interpunctella become adult on chocolate with ha zelnuts, while the percentage of emerged adults on chocolate with puff ed rice was respectively of 18% and 3.7%.