Western Pest Services - Pest Library

Pest Library

Indian Meal Moth
Plodia interpunctella (Hubner)

Class:

Insecta

Order:

Lepidoptera

Family:

Pyralidae

Size:

Indian meal moth adult has wingspread of about 5/8-3/4 in (16-20 mm).

Characteristics:

Adult has hind wing that is broader than the front wing and fringed with long hair-like scales. Larva has 5 pairs of well-developed prolegs on abdomen, each with hooks.

Color:

The Indian meal moth has pale gray wings, but the front wing is reddish brown and coppery on the outer two-thirds. Mature larva is usually dirty white, but may vary to greenish, pinkish, or brownish, depending on the food it eats; head region is yellowish to reddish brown.

Geographic Range:

The Indian meal moth originated in the Old World, but now occurs around the world.

Comparison with other species:

Compared to the Indian meal moth, the carpet or tapestry moth has front wings which are dark brown to black on the inner one-third near the base, the rest being white splotched with gray and black. Other small moths do not have same front wing color characteristic, or wingspread size, and/or hind wing proportional size and fringe, as the Indian meal moth.

Habitat:

The Indian meal moth larva's home is your food!

Food:

Grain, grain products; lots of different dried foods, such as fruit, nuts, seeds, crackers, and powdered milk; chocolate, candy; dried red peppers; dry dog food; bird seed.

Biology:

The Indian meal moth female lays 100-400 eggs, singly or in small groups, on food material during a 1-18 day period of time. The newly hatched larva establishes itself in a crevice of food material, making a webbed tunnel-like case of frass and silk, in which, or near which, it feeds. Temperature and availability of food determine the length of the larval stages (13-288 days). The last instar larva leaves the food to find a suitable place for pupation. The complete life cycle takes 25-135 days, with 4-6 generations per year.

Invasion:

Indian meal moths enter structures in boxes and bags of food from grocery stores.

Damage:

Adults cause no damage. Larvae produce the web material found in food, such as dried fruits, whole wheat and graham flours, cornmeal, and shelled or ear corn.