Household pest
Indian meal moth
Plodia interpunctella
The most common pantry moth in North America. Adults have a two-toned wing pattern — pale near the body, coppery-brown on the outer half — and a wingspan of about 3/4 inch. Larvae infest cereals, flour, nuts, dried fruit, pet food, and birdseed.
Visible identification features
- Adult: about 3/4 in (16–20 mm) wingspan, resting with wings folded flat
- Distinct two-tone wings: creamy inner half, coppery-bronze outer half
- Larvae: dirty-white to pinkish caterpillars with dark brown heads, up to 1/2 inch
- Silky webbing inside packages, on bag seams, and along cabinet corners
- Adults fly in zigzag patterns, often toward lights in the evening
Why it may be in your home
Larvae feed inside stored food — grains, cereals, flours, nuts, spices, dry pet food, and birdseed — often entering the home already inside a package. Adults do not feed; they emerge from cabinets to mate and lay eggs on new food.
Lookalikes
- Clothes moth
Clothes moths are smaller, uniformly golden-tan, and stay near closets and woolens; Indian meal moths show a clear two-tone wing pattern and fly around kitchens.
- German cockroach
Cockroach nymphs scurry along floors and cracks and never appear as flying moths or webbing inside food packages.
Confused with something else?
Next steps
- Discard infested and open suspect foods in sealed bags outside the home; when in doubt, discard.
- Empty and vacuum cabinets, including shelf corners, hinges, and cracks; wipe shelves and discard the vacuum contents outside.
- Store grains, flours, nuts, and pet food in glass or hard plastic with tight lids.
- Pheromone traps catch males and help monitor, but they do not replace finding and removing the infested source.
Sources
- Indian Meal Moth — University of Florida / IFAS Featured Creatures
- Indian Meal Moth — Penn State Extension
Updated 2026-09-03. Claims are limited to these sources.