12.026 BF236

Common Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella

(Hummel, 1823)

---

Wingspan 9-16 mm.

Formerly far commoner than it is these days, this moth inhabits houses, and was at one time a pest species. Its decline is probably due to the increase in use of man-made fibres and the much drier atmosphere created by central heating.

The larva, as its vernacular name suggests, feeds on woollen clothing, upholstery and carpets, as well as other animal-based material, such as hair or fur. It lives in a silken tube, and when gregarious this can develop into a dense matting.

The moths are more or less continuously brooded except during the winter months.