Plodia interpunctella
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The Indianmeal moth (Plodia interpunctella), also spelled Indian meal moth and Indian-meal moth, is a pyraloid moth of the family Pyralidae. Alternative common names are weevil moth, pantry moth, flour moth or grain moth. The almond moth (Cadra cautella) and the raisin moth (Cadra figulilella) are commonly confused with the Indianmeal moth due to similar food sources and appearance. The species was named for feeding on Indian meal (the cornmeal and maize flour from maize), with Indian in the New World sense; it does not occur natively in India. It is also not to be confused with the Mediterranean flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella), another common pest of stored grains.
P. interpunctella larvae (caterpillars) are commonly known as waxworms. They are not the same species as the waxworms often bred as animal feed. Rather, they are a common grain-feeding pest found around the world, consuming cereals, fruits, and similar products. Substantial efforts have been taken in the United States to control the moth's damage to grain crops.
The larvae of this species have the ability to bite through plastic and cardboard so even sealed containers may be infested. Once found, the moths are difficult to eradicate. The last larval instar is also able to travel long distances before pupating; so a new infestation site may develop far from the last pupation site. In addition to food sources, this species can reproduce and pupate on clothing and any source of clothing must be inspected to prevent reinfestation. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Indian-Meal Moth sighting in San Francisco on a given day, based on 52 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 215th most-seen of the 737 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Indian-Meal Moth in San Francisco on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Indian-Meal Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
100th of 102
Of the 102 cities where we can rate Indian-Meal Moth sightings, San Francisco ranks 100th at under 5%. The best odds are in Karaj (Iran, about 60%), Salvador (Brazil, about 20%) and Valencia (Spain, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Indian-Meal Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in San Francisco (52 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
