[en] The main insects for which this type of treatment may be considered belong to three broad groups, the Coleoptera (beetles), the Lepidoptera (moths) and the Diptera (flies). The desirable effects of ionizing energy on insect pests include reproductive sterilisation as well as killing. The dose levels required for the former are generally considerably lower than for killing. As mortality may, at lower doses, be by starvation, due to damage to cells of the alimentary canal, death is generally not immediate, but may be delayed for a number of days. This may be a disadvantage for this method of control, especially if the product is for immediate export and there is a NIL live insect requirement. Lepidoptera are generally more resistant to irradiation than Coleoptera or Diptera