Developmental rates, egg hatch, survival, adult weight, and reproductive potential were determined for Indianmeal moth, Plodia interplInctella (I-Hibner), reared on wheat bran diet, almonds, pistachios, and walnuts at four temperatures. Developmental rate and adult weight were highest on bran diet. Developmental rates on almonds and pistachios were similar, although development on almonds was filster at higher tempera-hIres. Developmental rate and survival were lowest on walnuts. At 35°C, no Indianmeal moth completed development on walnuts and developmental rates on all other diets decreased, indicating that the thermal threshold had been surpassed. Diet had no signilĩ cant effect on reproductive potential of adults reared at temperatures of 25 and 28.3°C. At 3I.7°C, adults reared on bran diet produced the most progeny; adults reared on walnuts produced the fewest progeny. No progeny resulted from adults reared on any diet at 35°C. Suitability of diet for Indianmeal moth development was correlated with diet moisture content; however, the poor performance of walnuts may have been due to the development of rancidity. The results of this study illustrate the difficulty in developing a model for the diverse conditions that exist in California's Central Valley. KEY WORDS Insecta, Plodia interplInctella, developmental rates, temperature THE INDIANMEAL MOTH, Pladia interpunctella (Hubner), will develop on a variety of grains, nuts, beans, meals, dried fruits, and processed foods (Simmons & Nelson 1975). As a result, this insect is a major problem in California during processing and storage of dried fi'uit and nut commodities. Current control practices often rely on scheduled fumigation with methyl bromide or hydrogen phosphide. Concern over the possible loss of these fumigants through regulatory action or the development of resistance has generated interest in reducing the number of fumigation treatments. One approach is to fumigate only when needed. Unfortunately, because of inadequate information on insect developmental rates and useful sampling methods for these commodities, it is difficult to determine when treatment is necessary. Commercially available lures for Indianmeal moth allow monitoring of the first spring flights. By combining this technique with a phenological model, it would be possible to time fumigations for maximum efficacy. Developmental rate, survival, and reproduction of Indianmeal moth is

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The CA Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) and the CA Air Resources Board monitored 40 pesticides, including five degradation products, in Parlier, CA, to determine if its residents were exposed to any of these pesticides and, if so, in what amounts. They included 1,3-dichloropropene, acrolein, arsenic, azinphos-methyl, carbon disulfide, chlorpyrifos and its degradation product, chlorthalonil, copper, cypermethrin, diazinon and its degradation product, dichlorvos, dicofol, dimethoate and its degradation product, diuron, endosulfan and its degradation product, S-ethyl dipropylcarbamothioate (EPTC), formaldehyde, malathion and its degradation product, methyl isothiocyanate (MITC), methyl bromide, metolachlor, molinate, norflurazon, oryzalin, oxyfluorfen, permethrin, phosmet, propanil, propargite, simazine, SSS-tributylphosphorotrithioate, sulfur, thiobencarb, trifluralin, and xylene. Monitoring was conducted 3 days per week for a year. Twenty-three pesticides and degradation products were detected. Acrolein, arsenic, carbon disulfide, chlorpyrifos, copper, formaldehyde, methyl bromide, MITC, and sulfur were detected in more than half the samples. Since no regulatory ambient air standards exist for these pesticides, CDPR developed advisory, health-based non-cancer screening levels (SLs) to assess acute, subchronic, and chronic exposures. For carcinogenic pesticides, CDPR assessed risk using cancer potency values. Amongst non-carcinogenic agricultural use pesticides, only diazinon exceeded its SL. For carcinogens, 1,3-dichloropropene concentrations exceeded its cancer potency value. Based on these findings, CDPR has undertaken a more comprehensive evaluation of 1,3-dichloropropene, diazinon, and the closely related chlorpyrifos that was frequently detected. Four chemicals-acrolein, arsenic, carbon disulfide, and formaldehyde-sometimes used as pesticides were detected, although no pesticidal use was reported in the area during this study. Their presence was most likely due to vehicular or industrial emissions.

Metam-sodium had become the most heavily used soil fumigant in recent years as the deadline approached for methyl bromide to phase out in January 2005. After application, metam-sodium decomposes rapidly to methyl isothiocyanate (MITC), a highly toxic compound capable of killing a wide spectrum of soil-borne pests. Inhalation risk of MITC ranked high among airborne agricultural pesticides in California. Information about off-gassing intensity and percentage of emission is essential for exposure risk assessment and mitigation measures, but is limited, especially for new application methods such as drip chemigation. Air concentrations of MITC were monitored around a field treated with metam-sodium through surface drip irrigation system. The field was tarped with plastic films before the chemigation. The air concentrations at receptor locations were simulated for the period of air monitoring with the Industrial Source Complex (ISC3) Dispersion Model, and soil flux density of MITC at various periods after chemigation was estimated through a back-calculation procedure. The estimated soil flux density of MITC showed a diurnal pattern, with the daytime flux stronger than nighttime. However, the average air concentration at nighttime was higher than that at daytime. Soil flux density peaked at 4.30 microg m-2 s-1 in the first 12-h period after chemigation, then declined with time. The MITC emission percentage in the first 60-h was 2.65% of applied mass, of which 57% occurred in the first 24-h after chemigation. The study indicated that the tarped bed drip application method of metam-sodium had a relatively good control of MITC emission from soil.