MEAL MOTH

MEAL MOTH
The Meal Moth is a medium-sized, around 3/4ths inch, triangular-winged moth, and is colored various shades of brown. The larvae have a brown head and are mostly dirty white in color. They leave a silky tunnel or casings where they have infested food, and can even chew through plastic bags to get their next meal.
Meal moths prefer grain products that are damp, but will get into just about any food debris and even vegetable products. They will infest cereals, flour, seeds, spices, and pet food leaving masses of the webbing behind as the sign of contamination.

Life Cycle
Females lay 200-400 eggs on or near the contaminated food products. The larvae hatch and develop through six instars, feeding and leaving behind webbing cocoons and feces to further contaminate the food. The egg to adult cycle can be completed in as little as six weeks, with adults living about a week.