Humans can ingest the eggs, the larvae, or the pupa of the moth accidentally or unknowingly through a wide range of dried foods that are plant-based. As determined in another article, pantry moths cannot harm humans even when eaten. Can Indianmeal moth harm when eaten?Ĭonsumption of the Indianmeal moth is not harmful to humans as it is with other pantry bugs. The cold winter months delay the development of individual stages which can result in 300 days. However, the typical cycle lasts about 50 days while optimal conditions can result in a short 28 days. The life cycle of the bug can take about 30 to 300 days. Mating and laying eggs usually occur three days after the emergence of the adult. The pantry bugs info from the University of Minnesota suggests that the adult stage of the Indianmeal moth is meant for mating and renewing the life cycle of the pantry bug. The stage lasts between 15 and 20 days at a temperature of 20 ☌, and between 7 and 8 days at a temperature of 30 ☌. The pupal stage is characterized by dormancy because the larva is transforming into an adult moth. The fully developed larvae are capable of spinning webs that are left as trails of their travel. The more mature larvae consume grain germ while the newly-hatched consume grain. The larval development can take between six and eight weeks if the temperatures are between 18 ☌ and 35 ☌.ĭepending on the temperatures and the food source, the larval instars’ number can vary between five and seven. They immediately disperse and establish their food source in a few hours. This marks the beginning of the larvae stage. The eggs hatch between the seventh and the eighth day after being laid at 20 ☌, and between a third and fourth day at 30 ☌. The mature female can lay the eggs in clusters of 12 to 30 or singly, and the total number it lays at a time can be from 100 to 400 eggs. The eggs are light grey with a length ranging from 0.3mm to 0.5mm, and they are laid directly on the food. The eggs are located where grain or other human food supplies are stored.įor the eggs to develop, the temperatures around them should be more than 10 ☌ (50 ☏). Those stages are egg, larvae, pupa, and adult. The Indianmeal moth has a life cycle characterized by four stages. However, maize meal and groundnuts slow the development cycle of the bug. The optional plant-based food products eaten and infested by the moth include almonds and American yellow corn. The moths can feed on cereal, birdseed, plant-based dry pet food, nuts, dried fruits, rice, soup mixes, pasta, flour, bread, and spices.Īccording to pantry bug info from the University of Florida, the wheat from northern Manitoba facilitates the development cycle of the moth. Indianmeal moth can eat and attack a wide variety of grains, plants, other products consumed by humans.
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