Plodia interpunctella

SPECIES: Plodia interpunctella ( order Lepidoptera )

COMMON NAME: Indian mealmoth

SIZE: larva 13-15 mm; adults up to 2 cm wingspan

LIFECYCLE: females may lay up to 300 eggs, which are smaller than 0.5 mm. The Indian mealmoth overwinters as a larva and produces 2-4 generations.

FEATURES: The adult is a butterfly. The base of the forewings has a band of cream and, at the distal end, a brownish-orange, separated by a dark stripe.

HABITAT/DIET: cereal flours, pasta, dried fruit, organic substances, animal substance preservatives, grain kernels, etc.

DAMAGE: larvae that feed on preservative materials cover the latter with silky filaments, excrement and exuviae.

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