Meal Moth

Natural Habitat

Found globally in grain stores, pantries, kitchens, and agricultural facilities where stored food is kept.

Diet & Feeding

Larvae feed on stored grain products, cereals, flour, cornmeal, and sometimes damp or decaying vegetable matter.

Behavior Patterns

Adults are nocturnal and often seen resting on walls near food sources with their tails curved up. Larvae spin silk tubes within food substrates to feed and eventually pupate.

Risks & Benefits

Considered a domestic and commercial pest because larvae contaminate stored foods with silk webbing and excrement. They pose no direct physical risk (stings or bites) to humans, but can cause significant food spoilage.

Identified on: 3/28/2026