Grain dust and a sweet must odor characterize the presence of the lesser grain borer. Accumulated and compacted dust can lead to poor aeration in the bin and a greater potential for grain spoilage. Larvae are light tan with darkened heads. The presence of broken kernels provides a suitable environment for larval development. When agitated the confused flour beetles secrete chemicals called quinones, which have a pungent odor, and cause infested grains to turn pink.
Indianmeal moths eat cereal grains, grain products and several other food products.
The outer portion of the wings is reddish-brown with irregular dark bands. The hind wings have a fringe of hair. The young feeding larvae leave silken threads that tend to pull the rice kernels together. As the infestation grows the layers of threads cover the grain. Control of storage insects depends on cleaning of storage facilities between harvests, carefully controlling the temperature and humidity, and the use of recommended control measures.