Yes, those are Indianmeal moths (Plodia interpunctella), commonly referred to as pantry moths.

It can be surprising to find live insects in a newly opened bag, but understanding how they get in and how to eliminate them helps prevent future infestations.

How They Get Inside Packaged Rice

Pantry moths usually enter packaging through one of two ways:

• Microscopic Eggs Before Packaging: Moths often lay tiny, invisible eggs on grains while they are stored in farm silos, processing plants, or warehouses. The eggs are packed directly into the bag, remain dormant, and later hatch into larvae—which eventually mature into adult moths inside the container.
• Chewing Through Packaging: Pantry moth larvae can bite through thin plastic, paper, and cardboard. If an infested item sits near sealed bags on store shelves or in a pantry, the larvae can easily chew their way inside.

How to Get Rid of Them

1. Discard the Contaminated Food: Immediately throw away the infested rice into an outdoor trash bin. Do not leave it in your indoor kitchen bin.
2. Inspect the Pantry: Check all surrounding dry goods—flour, oats, pasta, cereals, nuts, spices, and pet food. Look for live larvae, adult moths, or fine, web-like webbing inside packages or along container rims. Throw out any infested items.
3. Deep Clean Shelves: Vacuum all pantry shelves, corners, and cracks to pick up stray eggs, larvae, or food crumbs, then discard the vacuum bag or empty the bin outside. Wipe down shelves with warm, soapy water or a vinegar-water solution.
4. Switch to Airtight Containers: Move all uninfested grains and dry foods out of thin plastic or cardboard packaging and store them in thick, airtight glass, metal, or heavy-duty plastic containers.
5. Freeze New Grains (Prevention Tip): When bringing home new rice or grains from the store, place the package in the freezer for 3–4 days. This neutralizes any hidden microscopic eggs before they can hatch.