Indian Meal Moth

Natural Habitat

Typically found indoors in kitchens, pantries, and food storage areas where grains, nuts, and dried foods are kept. Outdoors, they infest plants with seeds.

Diet & Feeding

Larvae feed on stored grains, cereals, nuts, dried fruits, bird seed, and dry pet food. Adults do not feed.

Behavior Patterns

Adult moths are often seen flitting around kitchens or resting on walls near food sources. They are nocturnal and attracted to light. The most distinctive behavior is the larvae spinning silk webbing over the food surface they infest.

Risks & Benefits

Risks: Major pest of stored food products. They contaminate food with their larvae, webbing, and feces, leading to food waste and economic loss. Benefits: None significant to humans; part of the natural food web as prey for spiders and other insects.

Identified on: 3/3/2026