Indian meal moth (larva)

Natural Habitat

Worldwide in human structures where food is stored, such as pantries, food processing plants, and grocery stores.

Diet & Feeding

A wide variety of stored dry foods including cereal, flour, pasta, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, chocolate, and pet food.

Behavior Patterns

Larvae produce characteristic silken webs over food surfaces while feeding. They often crawl away from their food source to walls or ceiling corners to spin a cocoon and pupate.

Risks & Benefits

They are a major economic pest that causes food spoilage through contamination with webbing, frass (feces), and cast skins. They do not bite or carry diseases but make food unfit for consumption.

Identified on: 1/4/2026