Indian meal moth larva

Natural Habitat

Commonly found in residential pantries, kitchens, and commercial food storage facilities where dry goods are kept.

Diet & Feeding

Feeds on a wide variety of dry stored products including birdseed, cereals, flour, cornmeal, crackers, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, and dry pet food.

Behavior Patterns

Larvae often leave the food source to pupate in wall-to-ceiling crevices or other cracks. They spin distinctive silk webbing in the food they infest and have a life cycle that ranges from 27 to 305 days depending on temperature.

Risks & Benefits

They are a significant nuisance pest that spoils food with webbing, frass, and cast skins. They do not bite or sting and are not known to transmit diseases, but infested food should be discarded.

Identified on: 3/7/2026