Adult : About 22mm long, 20 - 25mm wingspan; upper forewings spotted or streaked. Larvae : caterpillar-like with brown head and clearly defined forelegs and pro-legs.

Eggs (up to 550 per female) are laid near food. Entire life cycle takes three to four months.

It is generally similar to the Warehouse Moth (Ephestia elutella). A major pest in flour and grout mills, bakeries and other grain and flour processing plants. Larvae prefer wheat flour, but will also feed on all sorts of grains, cereals, seeds, macaroni, dried fruits, cocoa, nuts and almonds. They spin webbing which causes lumping of flour and grain, blocking conveyor spouts and other parts of milling machinery and also provides harbourage for other pests. The product also acquires an unpleasant smell and a grey/brown colour due to the faeces.