Indian-Meal Moth
Plodia interpunctella
Also known as: Indian Meal Moth · Pantry Moth · Weevil Moth · Flour Moth · Grain Moth · Waxworm
Insecta
UNCOMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- A few weeks
- Size
- Small
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Activity
- Nocturnal
- Social
- Solitary
- Biome
- Temperate forest
- Range
- Worldwide
- Movement
- Flight
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Camouflage
- Status
- Uncommon
About
The Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella) is a common pantry pest whose larvae feed on stored foods such as flour, cereal, nuts, birdseed, and dried fruit. Despite its name, it is found worldwide and often enters homes through packaged food products. Fun fact: The silken webbing left behind by the larvae can be one of the easiest ways to spot an infestation before you even see the moths themselves.
Life cycle
- 1.eggA tiny ribbed egg laid on the underside of a host-plant leaf, hatching within days.
- 2.caterpillarA voracious caterpillar feeds and molts through several instars, growing rapidly.
- 3.cocoonA silk cocoon spun in leaf litter or soil while the body remodels into a winged adult.
- 4.mothA winged adult with feathery antennae and scaled wings, most active after dark.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Pyralidae
- Genus
- Plodia
- Species
- Plodia interpunctella