Stored-Grain Pests. 19 
INDIAN MEAL MOTH.” 
The Indian meal moth is a rather handsome moth with a wing ex- 
panse of nearly three-fourths of an inch. It is easily distinguished 
from other grain pests by the peculiar marking of its forewings. 
These are reddish brown with a coppery luster on the outer two- 
thirds, but whitish-gray on the inner or body end. Moths and larve 
are shown in figure 27. The female moths lay from 300 to 400 eggs, 
Fic. 22.—Ear of corn cut to show characteristic feeding and destruction by pink corn- 
worm larve. Note that the larve eat from one kernel to another, often severing the 
kernels from the cob. The Jarye2 sometimes eat into the cob and there transform to 
the pupa stage. The pup are about one-third as long as the kernels shown. 
singly or in groups, on food material. The eggs hatch within a few 
days into small whitish larve or caterpillars. These larve feed upon 
erains, grain products, dried fruits, nuts, and a rather wide variety 
of foodstuffs. When full grown, the larve are about half an inch 
long, dirty white in color, varying sometimes to greenish and pinkish 
hues. <A full-grown larva is shown in figure 28, clinging to a kernel 
22 Plodia interpunctella Ibn. 
