Indian meal moth (larva)

Natural Habitat

Pantries, warehouses, grocery stores, and food processing facilities where stored grains are kept.

Diet & Feeding

Stored food products including flour, cereal, nuts, dried fruit, birdseed, chocolate, and pet food.

Behavior Patterns

Larvae produce characteristic silken webbing as they feed, which binds food particles together. They often crawl away from their food source to find a high crevice or ceiling corner to pupate.

Risks & Benefits

They are major household and industrial pests that cause significant economic loss through food contamination. While they do not bite or spread disease, infested food must be discarded.

Identified on: 3/12/2026