Adult case bearing carpet moth.
Case bearing carpet moth life cycle.
The larva makes a portable case for itself out of wool and other fibres.
This is one of the few moth species that can damage clothing and carpets but you can deter them from households.
Tinea pellionella the case bearing clothes moth is a species of tineoid moth in the family tineidae the fungus moths it is the type species of the genus tinea which in turn is the type genus of the subfamily family as well as the superfamily tineoidea.
The carpet moth has a very similar life cycle to a clothes moth.
Case bearing carpet moths tinea pellionella are a common textile pest their larvae feed on keratin in natural fibres and so are a household pest due to the damage they can cause to woollen carpets and silk rugs as well as expensive clothing the larvae can also feed on cobwebs birds nests and other natural materials.
Alamy rather confusingly most of these moth species will sometimes switch from carpets to clothes and chew any natural fabrics like cotton wool and silk.
The life cycle of a carpet moth clothes moth.
Carpet moths are typically found in warmer climates during the summer.
Its scientific name is derived from tinea a generic term for micromoths and the latin term for a furrier pellionellus.
The adult moth is a pale silvery grey brown with dark spots and approximately 7mm long.
The most common clothes moths are the webbing clothes moth easily identified with a golden color and around half an inch in length and the case bearing moth which can be identified about inch long and their forewings are mottled brown with one large and a few smaller indistinct black spots.
