Dusky Raisin Moth

Ephestiodes gilvescentella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Pyralidae

Also called: Moth

Can damage your home. The dusky raisin moth can damage stored foods such as raisins, prunes, walnuts and other pantry items.

Source: Wikipedia

Dusky Raisin Moth
Photo: Victor Engel, CC BY

Adults have a wingspan of about 12 to 16 millimetres. The larvae feed on dried fruits like raisins and prunes, as well as walnuts, pine cones and yeast, which can lead to damage in stored food supplies.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Wingspan ranges from 12 mm to 16 mm.

Source: Wikipedia

Is it a pest in the house?

Because its larvae eat stored dried fruits and nuts, it can become a pantry pest.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

Larvae have been found feeding on raisins, prunes, walnuts, pine cones and yeast.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it is found in the US

Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, California, Washington, Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Florida.

Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.

Source: GBIF

Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist

Months it is reported in the US

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Source: GBIF

More photos

Dusky Raisin Moth photo 3
Photo: unknown, CC0
Dusky Raisin Moth photo 4
Photo: Annika Lindqvist, CC BY
Dusky Raisin Moth photo 5
Photo: Meghan Cassidy, CC BY-SA
Dusky Raisin Moth photo 6
Photo: unknown, CC0

Questions people ask

How big is the dusky raisin moth?

It measures about 12 to 16 mm across the wings.

Source: Wikipedia

Where is this moth found?

It lives in North America, especially in western US states and western Canadian provinces.

Source: Wikipedia

What does the dusky raisin moth eat?

The caterpillars feed on raisins, prunes, walnuts, pine cones and yeast.

Source: Wikipedia

Can it damage my pantry?

Yes, its larvae can damage stored dried fruits and nuts such as raisins and walnuts.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Pyralidae)

Indian-Meal MothIndian-Meal MothPlodia interpunctellaCan damage your homeGreater Wax MothGreater Wax MothGalleria mellonellaMediterranean Flour MothMediterranean Flour MothEphestia kuehniellaCan damage your homeMeal mothMeal mothPyralis farinalisDamages trees, gardens or cropsBee MothBee MothAphomia sociellaNuisance, not dangerousYellow-fringed Dolichomia MothYellow-fringed Dolichomia MothHypsopygia olinalis

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephestiodes_gilvescentella

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

How this page works

This is one bug's fact sheet. The colored box at the top says whether it is dangerous. Sections below cover how to recognize it, whether it is a pest, and how to deal with it. The US map shows which states have records; tap a state to see other bugs there.

Every fact on Bug FAQ comes from a named source (university extension sites, government agencies, GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia). The source is linked next to each section. If we have no source for something, we leave it out.