Plodia interpunctella
Appearance:
The dried fruit moth has a body length of 7-9 mm and a wingspan of 15-20 mm. The first third of the forewing is light gray to gray-yellow in color, the remaining part is copper-red.
The larvae are whitish yellow, reddish or greenish in color with a brown head. Their color depends on their food intake.
Reproduction:
The development of the dried fruit moth takes approx. 35 days under ideal temperature conditions (> 25°C) – considerably longer at temperatures outside this range and with the intake of nutrient-poor food.
Way of life:
The caterpillars of the dried fruit moth feed on nuts, dried fruit, pulses, chocolate, cocoa and coffee, and in exceptional cases also on fresh fruit.
Dried fruit moths are storage pests. They eat and contaminate grain products. Infested food must be disposed of. We recommend using airtight containers for storing food.
