Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing stored nut moths. Their name is a little confusing because it almost sounds as if these bugs store their own food, but that's not the case. These invertebrates feast on nuts that humans keep in storage, although they also consume dried fruits and they've been shown to eat corn stores as well. They're native to Southeast Asia but have been introduced around the world through food trade routes. It's not uncommon for adult stored nut moths to live around and inside food warehouses where their offspring will have constant access to food. They sometimes even appear in our homes, but they're not the only food storage moths to exist.

Stored nut moths are approximately an inch long, 2.5 centimeters, as adults. They have a silly pointed nose which is iconic for their family, the snout moths (Pyralidae). Fascinatingly, female stored nut moths are larger than males and they have more pronounced wing patterns. These insects are a pale beige to gray with some lighter and darker spots. In particular, they have a dark black spot at about the middle section of their wings. This spot is darker, larger, and more clear in females.

Without humans, these moths likely eat similar foods found throughout their home range. Many animals, such as squirrels and other rodents, as well as birds, keep stores of food in the environment. Plus, fallen nuts and fruits can dry on the forest floor which also act as a source of food for these insects. But a warehouse full of dried food stores is essentially a banquet for a stored nut moth, so they utilize these buffets of food to the best of their ability.

It's not the adults, also known as imagos, that eat human food stores and are labeled as pests– it's their babies. After mating, the short-lived adults lay their eggs and shortly perish. They're only observable for a few months of the year, specifically in the summer. Stored nut moth larvae spend months eating through the food they're laid on, boring holes which can indicate their presence. The larvae are beige with a dark brown head and find places to form their cocoon while they transform into adults over the winter and spring.

Changing global climate conditions have made it easier for stored nut moths to survive by living on some food sources as they're actually growing, as opposed to packed in storage. They fall prey to predatory insects, such as wasps and certain beetles, but these can't always be used on food intended for human consumption. Store nut moths also face threats in the form of parasites.

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