What kind of moths eat sweaters. There are many different types of moths that eat clothes. The webbing clothes moth tineola bissellielle is a small pale gold moth with a wingspan of about 12 inch. Unlike some other types of moths clothes moths are seldom seen because they avoid light. A weak flier it seldom leaves dark areas.
When you see the adult moth beware. They have narrow wings that are fringed with small hairs. There are only two types of moth larvae that have the ability to digest the fibers that clothing is made from. There are many types of moths and most species drink nectar from flowers that bloom at night.
When those eggs hatch the larvae or caterpillars of the moths devour clothing. The webbing clothes moth shown here is a small moth with a wingspan of about 12 inch. They are often mistaken for grain moths infesting stored food items in kitchens and pantries. Do moths eat clothes.
Adult moths are no danger to wool cashmere or mohair clothes but the larvae can be detrimental as they feed and cut holes in clothes. Both are members of the family tineidae bisselliella. Here are some common species and their preferred materials. A weak flier it seldom leaves dark areas.
Types of clothing eating moths. Well go over a few different types of moths and what they like to eat. The specific name is commonly misspelled biselliella for example by g. Moths are destructive no doubt but they dont actually eat your clothestheir babies do.
In adulthood these nocturnal insects develop a tube like apparatus called a proboscis which enables them to pump the fluid from flower nectar tree sap animal dung keratin and droppings as a food source. This month is a tiny golden moth that spans about in length for their. It is pale gold with no unusual markings and a weak flier that seldom leaves dark areas. Herrich schaeffer when he established tineola.
According to blake newton an extension entomologist at the university of kentucky moths lay eggs on fabrics caterpillars hatch from those eggs and then the caterpillars munch on the clothing. There are primarily only two species of moths that damage clothes in the usthe webbing clothes moth and the casemaking clothes moth. Moths themselves do not eat clothing. Clothes moths are small 12 inch moths that are beige or buff colored.
Tineola bisselliella known as the common clothes moth webbing clothes moth or simply clothing moth is a species of fungus moth family tineidae subfamily tineinaeit is the type species of its genus tineola and was first described by arvid david hummel in 1823.