Indian Meal Moth
The Indian Meal Moth (Plodia interpunctella) is a very common kitchen and pantry pest of a great many sorts of dried foodstuffs, including pet food (dried dog and cat food, hamster and guinea pig food, bird seed, etc.), stored grains, cereals, breads, pasta, rice, flour, cornmeal, spices, dried fruits and nuts, and even sometimes–reportedly–chocolate, cocoa beans, and cookies. The pest got its name in the 1800s, when cornmeal was referred to as “Indian meal.” It is sometimes spelled with the first two words joined together (Indianmeal Moth), and it has several other common names: North American High-flyer, Weevil Moth, Pantry Moth, Flour Moth or Grain Moth.
The larvae of this small moth spin silken threads as they crawl around, causing the infested food to look as though it has been webbed together. Newly-hatched larvae are very small, so are difficult to see. They are about ½” in length when fully mature, and range in color anywhere from yellow, to green, to pink, but with a brownish head (see photos below).
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- Indian Meal Moths (plus larvae and the webbing that the larvae spin)
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- A mature Indian Meal Moth larva with some of its silk webbing that they spin (you can see the webbing between the larva and the coin)
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- Magnified view of a mature Indian Meal Moth larva
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- Magnified view of a mature Indian Meal Moth larva
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- Indian Meal Moth
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- Indian Meal Moth
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- Indian Meal Moth
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- Indian Meal Moth (newly-emerged; 4/23/2021)
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- An Indian Meal Moth with fewer scales remaining on its wings (likely an older specimen) (compare with adjacent specimen)
Additional Information:
- Indian Meal Moth (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
- Indian Meal Moth (Penn State)
- How to Deal with Pantry Pests (Cornell)