Insect of the Month: Casemaking Clothes Moth (Tinea pellionella)
Casemaking clothes moth larvae damage woolens, silks, furs and materials made with hair and feathers. The primary means of detection of casemaking clothes moth is the presence of silken cases that contain larvae.
Granular frass, the size of ground pepper, can be found in, on, and under fabric, furs, taxidermy mounts, hanging clothes in closets, rugs, carpets, and upholstered furniture.
What do casemaking clothes moths look like?
Casemaking Clothes Moths Adults: Up to 8 mm (0.3 inches) long with shiny grey to brown 1-3 small spots on wings. Has a small tuft of brown hairs on top of head.
Casemaking Clothes Moths Eggs: Oval, ivory in color and 1 mm (0.04 inches) long.
Casemaking Clothes Moths Larvae: Creamy white, black head capsule, 13 mm (0.5 inches) long, found within a silken case that it carries.
Casemaking Clothes Moths Pupae: Pupal cases are whitish; often patterned with colored fibers; sometimes hidden in fabric or fur; up to 13 mm (0.5 inches) long.
What is the casemaking clothes moth life cycle?
Adult casemaking clothes moths live for 15-30 days. Mated females can lay 40-50 eggs singly or in groups. Eggs hatch in 4-10 days in warmer months and up to 30 days in cooler months.
Larvae feed and become mature in 35 days or and up to 30 months depending on food quality, temperature and humidity.
Pupation will occur in proximity to and within infested materials. Adults will emerge from the pupae in 8 to 40 days depending on temperature.
Monitoring Guidelines for Casemaking Clothes Moths (Tinea pellionella)
Click on the image or insect name above to view monitoring guidelines for casemaking clothes moths. These guideline include details on Description, Lifecycle, Damage and Detection, Corresponding Products, Fun Facts, and more!
Stay tuned
Next week we are going to be sharing a solution Insects Limited offers when dealing with casemaking clothes moths.
Insects Limited, an Insect Pheromone Company
Insects Limited, Inc. researches, tests, develops, manufactures and distributes pheromones and trapping systems for insects in a global marketplace. The highly qualified staff also can assist with consultation, areas of expert witness, training presentations and grant writing.
Insects Limited, Inc. specializes in a unique niche of pest control that provides mainstream products and services to protect stored food, grain, museum collections, tobacco, timber and fiber worldwide. Please take some time to view these products and services in our web store.
