Meal moth
This moth rests with the tip of its abdomen curled sharply upward at a right angle to its body, unlike most other moths.
| Where | Barns, warehouses and grain stores |
|---|---|
| Size | 18 to 30 mm wingspan |
| When | May to September |
The Meal moth has reddish brown forewings crossed by two pale wavy lines with a paler central band, and at rest it holds the tip of its abdomen curved upward.
Caterpillars develop in stored cereals and grain products, feeding on seed, bran, husk and straw inside silken tubes covered in debris, and can become a pest in grain stores.
Traits
Habitat
Farmland
Colour
Brown, White
Active
Night
To people
Often found near stored grain and food waste; harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
A related grain-store moth of similar dull brown coloring but larger, at about 29 to 38 mm wingspan, without the sharply curled resting posture of the Meal moth.
Questions
Is the Meal moth dangerous to people?
Often found near stored grain and food waste; harmless to people.
When can you see the Meal moth?
The Meal moth can be seen from May to September, at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Pyralid moths›Pyralis
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.