Field monitoring and lab tests to control fabric pests

Abstract

A number of species of Tineidae moths and Dermestidae beetles can attack and damage textiles. They can cause considerable damage on wool manufactures.
In this paper several facets of the fabric pest infestation are considered. A biennial monitoring was carried out in a textile industry and it allowed to verify the presence of the Tineid moth Tineola bisselliella (Hummel) and of the Dermestid beetle Anthrenus verbasci (L.).
Lab tests on T. bisselliella, A. verbasci, Attagenus brunneus Faldermann, Lasioderrna serricorne (F.) larvae were carried out to control their survival and development on a wool blanket, treated with permethrin. Larvae of A. verbasci, A. brunneus and L. serricorne were able to reach adult stage, feeding on treated wool fibres and causing evident damage.
A lab study was started to estimate the efficacy of novaluron, lufenuron and pyriproxyfen, as alternative to permethrin, to control T. bisselliella larvae. Both novaluron and lufenuron products caused the death of all newborn larvae of T. bisselliella two weeks after the treatment, whereas pyriproxyfen took three weeks. Tests conducted on 24-day-old larvae showed the complete mortality on novaluron after one week and after two weeks on lufenuron. Pyriproxyfen did not take less than 4 weeks to yield a comparable result. Moreover, visual examination showed the damage on the wool fabric.