Indian Meal Moth
Plodia interpunctella
The most common pantry moth in Australian homes. Its caterpillars spin silk webbing through cereals, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate and pet food.
- Size
- 8–10 mm
- Marking
- Two-toned wings
- Sign
- Silk webbing in food
- Monitor with
- Pheromone traps
Questions about the Indian Meal Moth
How to identify a Indian Meal Moth
Identification
- Adult about 8–10 mm long with wings folded.
- Wings two-toned: pale grey-cream near the head, coppery-brown towards the tips.
- Larvae are cream caterpillars up to about 12 mm with a brown head.
Where it lives
- Cereals, muesli, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, chocolate, spices, pet food and bird seed.
- Larvae wander to pupate in shelf corners, lids and ceiling junctions.
Behaviour
- Adults fly at dusk and are seen fluttering around kitchens.
- Larvae leave silk webbing, clumps and droppings in food.
Why it matters
Infestations spread between packets; every affected product must be found and thrown out. See why there are moths in my pantry.
More questions about pantry pests
All pantry pest questions →Other pantry pest species
Rice Weevil
Sitophilus oryzae
A tiny snouted beetle that breeds inside whole grains such as rice, wheat and pasta. Larvae develop hidden inside individual kernels.
Red Flour Beetle
Tribolium castaneum
A small reddish-brown beetle that infests flour, cake mixes, cereals and other milled products, often leaving them grey and smelly.
Pantry pest guides
How to Pest-Proof Your Home
A practical, room-by-room approach to reducing pests without relying on chemicals: remove what attracts them, close the ways in, and make your property less comfortable for them.
GuidePest Prevention Checklist
A printable seasonal checklist of simple, low-cost tasks that reduce pests around Australian homes, with the reason behind each step and extra lists for renters, apartment residents, pet owners and Queenslander owners.
Pantry Pests by location
More about pantry pests
Pantry Pests
Small moths, weevils and beetles that infest flour, rice, cereals, nuts, dried fruit, spices and pet food. They usually arrive already inside a product and spread to other packets in the pantry.
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Sources & further reading
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