Mill Moth

Ephestia kuehniella

Description

The adult moth is pale gray and up to 12 mm long, with dark bands. The hindwings are grayish-white. The wingspan is between 16 mm and 20 mm. The larva (caterpillar) is off-white with a darker head and small black spots on its body. The larva emerge from tube-like structures about 40 days after they hatch. The larva is about 12 mm long when mature. The larva then find a place to spin a cocoon. When the larva spin cocoons, they turn to a reddish-brown color. It takes about 8–12 days for the larva to become a moth and it takes 5–7 weeks for the egg to become an adult. The female moth lays 120–680 small white eggs. These eggs commonly attach to food and they hatch within 3–8 days.