blue light (400–475 nm) rather than UV light (10–400 nm) is dominant and attracts the moths. Blue light's role in the Indian-meal moth foraging behavior has recently been harnessed as a form of pest control since it is attractive to the moth. Life history Eggs Usually the life cycle of an Indian-meal moth colony starts in a location where grain is present. The temperature within a grain bin must exceed . The eggs of the moth are grayish white and have a length between . Eggs can be laid directly on the food source singly or in groups of between 12 and 30. A mature female may lay between 100 and 300 eggs at a time. Larvae Larvae begin to hatch in approximately two to fourteen days. The larvae have between five and seven instars. Newly hatched larvae feed on grain while more mature larvae feed on grain germ. The larvae are an off-white color, but can be pink, brown, or greenish. They are about 12 mm long and have prolegs for movement. Fully-grown larvae are able to spin webs and leave silk threads in their path of travel. Mature larvae that make silk also make threaded cocoons. Adults The pupae are often seen on grain surfaces and on the walls of grain bins. The adults emerge in four to ten days. They then mate and the cycle begins again. The entire life cycle of this species ranges between 30 and 300 days. A typical life cycle is 50 days. Under optimal conditions a life cycle can be as short as 28 days but cooler winter months prohibit this. Seven to nine generations of moths can live in a year. Diapause Diapause is defined as a delay in animal development due to certain external factors and can end once the adverse environmental conditions wear off. The duration of diapause can vary in Indian-meal moths. Diapause is especially prevalent late in the breeding season. During the egg stage, if the temperature of the moth's environment exceeds , it can cause a delay in hatching. In the moth's early larval stage, temperatures of below can cause a similar diapause. Different strains of P. interpunctella have differing tendencies to enter diapause. Enemies Predators Nocturnal insectivores: birds, bats, and owls Lizards (Lacertilia) Bears (Ursidae) Cats (Felis catus) Dogs (Canis familiaris) Rodents (Rodentia) Spiders (Arachnida) Other cannibalistic Indian-meal moths Parasites Habrobracon hebetor is a parasitoid