MEDITERRANEAN FLOUR MOTH

MEDITERRANEAN FLOUR MOTH
The Mediterranean Flour Moth is another common pantry pest throughout the United States. They have an elongated body, are about 7/8ths inch in size, and are light brown or pinkish in color. The larvae live in silken tubes, which they leave behind in the contaminated food.
As with most pantry pests, they infest cereals, grain products, flour, seeds, and pet foods. The larvae can actually chew through plastic bags to reach their next meal, and will ruin just about anything that they contact. They prefer finely ground grains (such as the flour).

Mediterranean flour moth anatomy

1.Antenna- long and thin
2.Eyes- compound
3.Head
4.Legs- 6
5.Wings- longer than body
6.Thorax
7.Petiole- none
8.Abdomen- covered by wings
9.Color- pinkish to light brown
10.Other- larvae live in tubes

Life Cycle
The female will lay hundreds of tiny eggs right in the contaminated product. In a few days, they hatch into larvae, which immediately spin silken tubes. They mature in 40 days into pupae, which enter a cocoon for 1-2 weeks, then emerge as adult moths. The Mediterranean Flour Moth can complete the entire life cycle in 5-9 weeks, with 3-4 generations per year.