Clothes Moths
Key
Features of Clothes Moths
There are several species of clothes moths,
all of them characterised by folding their wings tent-wise
along their backs. The adult Common Clothes Moth is
6 to 7mm long with pale, plain golden-buff wings fringed
with hair. The rarer Case-Bearing Clothes Moth, is duller
and has three dark brown spots on each of its wings.
Biology
The adults do no damage when feeding. It is the larvae
which hatch from the sticky eggs that eat wool, hair,
fur or feathers - with a preference for blankets, wool
carpets, wool garments or upholstery that have been
soiled with perspiration or food. The grubs are white
caterpillars with golden-brown heads, which spin a hiding
place of characteristic loose silk webbing, beneath
which they feed. They make irregular holes in textile
fabrics and pupate as silken cocoons. The Case Bearing
Clothes Moth grub produces an open ended cylindrical
case of silk as it feeds, and attaches fibres of its
food material to this in order to camouflage itself.
Distribution
Common worldwide, they are found indoors all year round.
Significance
Although the adult moths are harmless, their larvae
can cause significant damage to clothing and other textiles,
as they feed on a wide range of fabrics of animal origin,
such as wool and fur.
Control
Clothes moth larvae can be difficult to detect, since
they shun the light, although their effects are far
more evident. Once located, infested food stuffs must
be removed and residual insecticides applied to the
surrounding area.
