Indian meal moth

umgs. Food moth
Plodia interpunktella

The dried fruit moth is the most important pest in the food processing industry worldwide. Complaints, take-back campaigns and losses are the result. It attacks dried fruit, nuts of all kinds, chocolate, cereals, cereal products, seeds, dried herbs and insect collections. As it attacks all plant-based foods, it is also known colloquially as the “food moth”. Even in private households, no pest is as widespread as this moth. A special feature is the pattern of the front wings, which are light gray to ocher yellow near the body, the rest of the outer part of the wing is reddish brown to red, delimited by blue transverse lines. The hind wings, on the other hand, are light gray. Wingspan 20 mm. Lays about 500 eggs, caterpillars white, light pink or greenish yellow and greasy shiny, up to 13 mm long. Spider webs permeate the entire substrate; depending on conditions, several generations per year are possible.