What is this moth -> Indian Meal Moth + Carpet Beatle?

Michael Gochfeld gochfeld at eohsi.rutgers.edu
Wed May 12 06:29:47 EDT 1999


Indian Meal Moths are extremely clever at getting into seemingly 
airtight containers.  They are very good at destroying specimens, 
especially if the moth balls haven't been changed for many months. 

Good repositories for them are bird seed and pasta. Since they infest 
outside containers of bird seed that hasn't been used up by June, I 
suspect that they may be coming in in the bird seed but don't reproduce 
during the cold winter months.

They are extremely interesting creatures that test one's physical 
mettle. They elude being "clapped" with long, erratic, rising flights. 
They like to pupate behind picture frames (and occasionally a larva ends 
up in front of the picture trapped against the glass), and also where 
the wall meets the ceiling. 

M. Gochfeld


More information about the Leps-l mailing list