Case-making clothes moth
Tinea pellionella (Linnaeus)

Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Tineidae
Acronym: TPE

Ecology

The case-making clothes moth is distributed worldwide and is mainly found in temperate regions. It is found in damp grain and in households, and rodent and birds nests. It feeds on grain with a high moisture content. It also feeds on spices, dried plant materials, seeds, clothes, carpets, animal hair, feathers and animal remains. The moth is more of a pest of products that contain natural wool than it is of stored grain. It may cause serious damage to clothes, carpets, tapestries, upholstery and museum collections. The larva constructs a portable case in which it lives.

Damage

The case-making clothes moth does not create any distinctive damaged. The larva can infest cereal grains that have a high moisture content. Damage is caused by the larva feeding. Signs of infestation include holes in wool articles and the contamination of products with larva and pupal cases.

Life history

The adult case-making clothes moth has a wing span of 15 - 17 mm. It has short labial palps. The head is covered in spiky scales. The forewings are pale brownish-grey with vague dark spots. The forewing may have 3 or more dark spots. The hind wings are pale fringed with long hairs. Both wings are narrow. The adult does not feed on the commodity. The adult can fly. They are short-lived.

The female lays eggs in crevices.

The larva is white. It will grow to 6.5 – 8.5 mm long. The colour of the larva’s head ranges from dark to dark brown. It may or may not have a dark longitudinal stripe on the side of the head. The thoracic plates are a similar in colour to the larva’s head. The larva is active and constructs a spindle-shaped, portable silk tube or case. The case has opening flaps at both ends. The larva lives in the case until it matures. It moves over or through a food source to feed. The larva overwinters in its case and pupates in the spring when it is mature.

Control

Controlling insect infestations

Images

Clemson Univ./USDA CES, Bugwood.org
Adult case-making clothes moth

Clemson Univ./USDA CES, Bugwood.org
Case-making clothes moth larva