Is it a pantry moth?
The pantry moth, also known as the Indianmeal moth, is a common insect found in homes where stored food products are kept.
CC0 photograph via iNaturalist (research-grade identification)
whichbug identifies insects from what you can see. It does not identify bites and has no health information.
What to look for
| Size | 12-13 mm wingspan |
|---|---|
| Colour | light gray to brown with a distinct coppery-brown band on the outer half of the forewings |
| Shape | narrow, elongated body with a somewhat triangular resting posture |
| Wings | forewings are two-toned with a grayish base and a coppery-brown outer half; hindwings are grayish-white |
| Antennae | thread-like and relatively long |
| Movement | erratic, fluttering flight pattern, often seen near light sources or food containers |
Where you'll find them
kitchen cupboardspantry shelvesgrain binspet food bagsbird seed containerspantry pest
Larvae feed on and contaminate stored dry goods such as grains, cereals, nuts, and dried fruits, rendering them unsuitable for consumption.
Season: most commonly seen year-round, with peaks in late summer and fall
Signs it's around
- Silken webbing on food surfaces
- Presence of small, moving larvae within food packages
- Cocoons attached to container walls or crevices
- Frass (insect droppings) mixed with food debris
Not sure? The lookalikes
| vs clothes moth | Pantry moths have a distinct coppery-brown band on the forewings, whereas clothes moths are uniformly pale gold or creamy white without banding. |
| vs flour beetle | Flour beetles are small, hard-bodied beetles with a distinct segmented body and hard wing covers, unlike the soft-bodied, two-toned winged moth. |
| vs weevil | Weevils are beetles with a distinct elongated snout (rostrum) and hard wing covers, whereas pantry moths have soft, scaled wings and no snout. |
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