Wingspan 14 to 20 mm. A distinctively marked moth.

This pyralid moth is a cosmopolitan pest species sometimes found in food warehouses.

The adults emerge throughout June to early September. In heated warehouses, this may be in overlapping broods and may continue through the autumn.

The larvae feed on cereals, grains, dried fruits, nuts and dried insect remains. It spins a silken web amongst the foodstuff.

Scattered records from around Britain. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.

Uncommon in Leicestershire and Rutland where there are few records, but can appear in large numbers when found. L&R Moth Group status = D (rare or rarely recorded).