Indian meal moth

Natural Habitat

Worldwide; often found in Pantries, food storage facilities, and grocery stores where grains are present.

Diet & Feeding

Lavae feed on a wide range of dry foodstuffs including cereal, flour, pasta, rice, nuts, dried fruits, and pet food.

Behavior Patterns

Adults are nocturnal and attracted to light; larvae spin silken webs over food surfaces and crawl to wall-ceiling junctions to pupate.

Risks & Benefits

They are a significant pest of stored grain and food products causing economic loss through contamination, though they pose no direct health risk to humans.

Identified on: 4/15/2026