Biology:
The female lays 116-678 white eggs in or on the food material, which hatch in 3-5 days. They typically pupate in a silken cocoon but this may be lacking if pupation takes place in a crack or crevice. Regardless, pupation occurs in clean food material, away from mass of infested material. The life cycle egg to egg usually takes 8-10 weeks but in heated structures may be completed in 4-6 weeks. This means there may be 4-6 or more generations per year, depending on the temperature.Complete metamorphosis.

Habits:
The adults cause no damage. The lava cause most of the problems because as they crawl around extensively, and spin silken threads which mat food particles together These cause damage to machinery and sometimes causing shut down until they are removed. Adults are attracted to light. The Mediterranean flour moth infests flour, cereals, bran, beans, biscuits, nuts, chocolates, dried foods and many other food stuffs.

Reasons for Control:
Extensive damage, loss of quality, contamination of products and goods, cross infestation, to comply with UK Legislation.