Indian meal moth

Natural Habitat

Worldwide in households, grocery stores, and food processing plants where dry food is stored.

Diet & Feeding

Larvae feed on dry plant-based foods such as cereals, flour, pasta, rice, nuts, dried fruits, seeds, and chocolate. Adults do not eat.

Behavior Patterns

Adults are nocturnal and attracted to light. Females can lay up to 400 eggs directly on or near a food source over several days. Larvae spin silken webs throughout their food supply.

Risks & Benefits

Major household and commercial pest; they contaminate food with webbing, cocoons, and waste. They pose no direct health risk to humans or pets through bites or stings, but infested food should be discarded.

Identified on: 4/3/2026