Indian meal moth (larva)

Natural Habitat

Worldwide in human dwellings, particularly pantries, food storage areas, and grain processing facilities.

Diet & Feeding

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

Behavior Patterns

Larvae produce characteristic silken webs over food sources as they feed. They often crawl away from the food source to walls or ceiling corners to pupate in silk cocoons.

Risks & Benefits

Major economic pest of stored products. They are not known to spread disease or bite humans, but they cause significant food spoilage and waste through contamination with webbing and frass.

Identified on: 3/15/2026