Adult Moths and Larvae

Pantry moth is calso called Indianmeal moth, weevil moth, flour moth or grain moth. Adult pantry moths are 8–10 mm in length with 16– to 20-mm wingspans. The entire lifecycle of this species may take 30 to 300 days. Female moths lay between 60 and 400 eggs on a food surface, which are ordinarily smaller than 0.5 mm and not sticky. The eggs hatch in 2 to 14 days. The larval stage lasts from 2 to 41 weeks, depending on the temperature.

The larvae can infest a wide range of dry foodstuffs of vegetable origin, such as cereal, bread, pasta, rice, couscous, flour, spices, or dried fruits and nuts. They also feed on chocolate and cocoa beans, coffee substitute and cookies. They have also been known to infest commercial bird food, such as cracked corn.