Insect
Indian-Meal Moth
Plodia interpunctellaAlso known as Pantry Moth, Weevil Moth, Flour Moth, Grain Moth
Adult Indian-meal moths are easily identified at rest by their distinctive bicolored wings, which transition from pale greyish-tan near the base to a rich coppery red on the outer half. Larvae spin protective silken tubes directly through dried pantry goods, leaving behind characteristic webbing, frass, and discarded pupal skins. Adults do not feed at all, devoting their brief lifespan entirely to mating and laying eggs across susceptible dry foodstuffs.
PestNocturnalCosmopolitan
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyCereal Grains, Nuts, Dried Fruit
Predators
- Cellar Spider
- House Centipede
- Braconid Wasp
ThreatsFreezing, airtight food storage, pheromone trapping, and commercial grain fumigation.
HabitatsPantries, granaries, food processing facilities, seed stores, and supermarkets worldwide.
Life span1–2 months total (adults live 5–13 days)
Classification
- OrderLepidoptera
- FamilyPyralidae
- GenusPlodia
- SpeciesPlodia interpunctella
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Harmless to humans and pets, but a destructive pest of stored dry foodstuffs.
Responsible observation
- Identify Infestations: Look for fine silken webbing and clumping inside open bags of rice, flour, nuts, or cereal.
- Control Safely: Discard infested dry goods immediately and store fresh stock in airtight glass or rigid plastic containers.
- Use Pheromone Traps: Place sticky hormone lures near food cabinets to monitor and disrupt male mating flights.
Competitor (c) dr_robert, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Look-alike (c) Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Parasite (c) Тилик-тилик, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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Species set
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