Plodia interpunctella, better known as the Indian Meal Moth, is normally found where you store your grains. This means that it can move through tiny openings in plastic or cardboard packages in your pantry to feast on cereal, pet food, flour, cornmeal and other stored grains and dried fruit. It can also contaminate contents of larger food storage facilities and grain storage buildings.
The moth is one of the top 12 moth species intercepted at U.S. ports and is closely related to many other highly destructive species that are not native to U.S. agriculture.
The Indian Meal Moth, or its larvae, are commonly intercepted in commodities by other United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies and sent to the Agriculture Research Service”™s Systematic Entomology Lab, located at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., for identification. Once the lab receives the moth”™s larvae, ARS researchers compare the external diagnostic characteristics such as hair and general color, so that it can be distinguished from other closely related noninvasive caterpillars. ”¯These diagnostic tools are then provided to other USDA personnel at U.S. ports to distinguish between species.
“This particular research permits the USDA to identify invasive species that may be introduced to the nation,” said ARS researcher Alma Solis. “It also allows us to conduct research, identify and exclude many other closely-related species that are potentially destructive species to the U.S. economy.”
Tropical climates are popular habitats for the Indian Meal Moth, but infestations have occurred across the globe, including Antarctica. Even though they are not known to bite or sting, their contamination of food products is detrimental to U.S. agriculture and the economy. Once the moth settles into grain that has a temperature of at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit, eggs are laid directly on the food source. A mature female may lay up to 300 eggs at a time before larvae begin to hatch within 14 days.
The USDA recommends keeping flour grains and other pantry items in thick plastic or glass containers with air-tight lids. Don”™t purchase packaged food that looks damaged and, if you suspect that you have an infestation, contact a licensed pest control company to deter and eliminate the infestation.
The”¯Agricultural Research Service”¯is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting the country. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $20 of economic effect.
