Bug Identifier
Indian meal moth larva
Community identification

Indian meal moth larva

Plodia interpunctella

Order & Family
Lepidoptera: Pyralidae
Size
Mature larvae are approximately 12 to 13 mm (about 1/2 inch) in length.
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Worldwide in human dwellings, specifically in kitchens, pantries, and food processing facilities where dry goods are stored.

Diet & Feeding

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

Behavior Patterns

Larvae produce silk webbing as they feed, which often clumps food particles together. When ready to pupate, they often leave the food source and crawl to wall-ceiling junctions or cupboard corners to spin a cocoon.

Risks & Benefits

They are major pantry pests that contaminate food with webbing, fecal pellets, and cast skins. While they do not bite or carry diseases, infested food should be discarded. They offer no notable benefits to the human ecosystem.