Developmental time from egg to adult is about a year. This species is very similar to the yellow mealworm except the adult beetle is a dull, pitch black. The larval stage is darker brown than that of the yellow mealworm. The larval stages of both species often are reared in mass as food for pets in pet stores. Flour moths are among the most commonly occurring pantry pests.
Developmental time is about seven weeks.
The larvae range from dirty white to greenish and pinkish. They leave a silken thread behind wherever they crawl, forming webs across the surface of the infested material. These larvae often leave the infested material and migrate some distance to find a snug place to spin their silken cocoons. Mediterranean flour moth. This moth is slightly larger than the Indianmeal moth.