62.062 BF1479 - Pyralidae - Phycitinae - Plodia interpunctella
62.062 BF1479  – Indian Meal moth  – Plodia interpunctella  – (Hübner, 1813)
Adult Micro:  CAT 3 – Very rare or scarce species (includes very scarce adventives/immigrants) – confusion with leaf mines      
PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Black – Uncertain/Unknown – Insufficient Data    
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Pyralidae  >> Phycitinae
ID Difficulty:  green  – easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.
ID pointers: Quite distinctive and tri-coloured. A dark brown basal patch a central pale yellowish patch and the final two thirds of the forewing dark reddish or rusty-brown with several darker cross-lines running through it. Specimen trapped 20th August 2015.
Distribution:  An imported (adventive) and a potential pest on dried cereals. Found in food warehouses.
General Comment: None
Flight Period: February /  March /  April /  May /  June /  July /  August /  September /  October /  November –  On the wing during February – November. Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –   Photographed By: Dave Evans  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 14-20mm
Food Plant: Cereals, grains, dried fruits, nuts and dried insect remains.
Last Recorded By – Not Recorded
Last Recorded General Area – Not Recorded

Possible Future Content


Images of Interest



Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 2014 - 2026)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)
This chart summarises all available historical occurrence records collated by ISO week of the year. It reflects recorder effort and sampling distribution as well as true biological activity, and should be interpreted as an indicative pattern of seasonal occurrence rather than a statistically controlled abundance or phenology model.


Changes in First and Last Recorded Activity Dates Over Time
Activity Data Range: 2014 – 2026
Earliest Appearance: 16th March (in 2021)
Latest Appearance: 22nd December (in 2022)
This chart presents a time-series summary of recorded observations. It is based on available records at the time of analysis and will evolve as further data are added. The rolling mean provides a smoothed representation of variation in recorded activity over time. Annual record totals are shown for context; years with fewer records may provide a less complete representation of activity than years with higher recording intensity. Interpretation should consider that apparent trends may reflect both biological change and variation in recording effort.

Distribution Map for Plodia interpunctella

Found 13 records
    ↳ 1 from 2026+
    ↳ 11 from 2020 - 2025
    ↳ 1 from Before 2020
Flying
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

If the Map Layers function fails, just refresh the page and it should be OK after. Use the +- zoom on the top left, or on a tablet, use two fingers to zoom. Remember, the last layer you ticked is the one which displays the popup information - they sit on top of each other - de-select then re-select, to see the popup values.

Bedrock Geology ** indirectly affects moth distribution by influencing the type of habitat and food plants available in an area. In turn, this may affect the types of moths that can thrive, or where they can most likely be found.


NBN Atlas UK Distribution for – Plodia interpunctella

⚠️ Please wait for the map to load fully – do not click the link shown.


Note – the NBN Atlas datasets are listed in the map below and vary in their currency (uptodateness) – however, the map does give a general indication of the moth's distribution across the UK.

Visit NBN Site


Monthly Records By Year: Plodia interpunctella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Monthly Counts By Year: Plodia interpunctella
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only )

First/Last Recorded Dates: Plodia interpunctella
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]

Shading shows moth presence between dates

Click the colour discs below to Select/De-select as Required

Recordings By Year: Plodia interpunctella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Plodia interpunctella
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Plodia interpunctella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Plodia interpunctella

Flight Period chart – the grey hatched area above, which can cross one or more months, pictorially represents the best guess we have for this moth's flight periods [month/s]. The coloured lines represent the actual months seen in flight, from site observation records received between 2020-2026.

Records Behind the Map and Charts - Plodia interpunctella – 13 records available

Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns

Site Name Tetrad Date Count Stage Recorder Source RecordKey
Allestree, Derby SK33P 27/06/2026 1 adult Plant, Stephen vc57_irecords_extract iBRC54129684
Belper SK34U 12/08/2025 1 Adult Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44438784
Belper, Derbyshire SK34N 29/07/2025 1 Adult Newcombe, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44351643
Wingerworth, Derbyshire SK36Y 07/10/2024 1 Adult Windle, Jim vc57_irecords_extract iBRC38779109
Dronfield SK37P 22/06/2024 1 Adult La vc57_irecords_extract iBRC36572439
Sandiacre, Derbyshire SK43S 05/04/2024 1 Adult Buxton, Paul vc57_irecords_extract iBRC35327810
Allestree, Derby SK33P 12/06/2023 1 not recorded Plant, Stephen vc57_irecords_extract iBRC46330412
Quarndon SK34F 22/05/2023 1 Adult Iveson-Brown, Rachel Dan vc57_irecords_extract iBRC30469667
Derbyshire, UK SK26Q 22/12/2022 1 Adult Moores, Stephen vc57_irecords_extract iBRC32890676
Midway, Derbys. SK32A 04/06/2021 1 Adult Williams, Michael vc57_irecords_extract iBRC38494151
Midway, Derbys. SK32A 29/03/2021 1 Adult Williams, Michael vc57_irecords_extract iBRC38493882
Midway, Derbys. SK32A 16/03/2021 1 Adult Williams, Michael vc57_irecords_extract iBRC38493855
Backgarden Marehay SK34Z 07/06/2014 1 Adult Thorpe, Steve vc57_irecords_extract iBRC33506431

Scroll to Top