Clothes Moth Larvae Size

The larvae are typically a few millimetres long upon hatching but then grow to 1 1 5cm in length dependent on availability of food i e.

Clothes moth larvae size.

The specific name is commonly misspelled biselliella for example by g. Its case is the color of the fabric on which the larva feeds. Tineola bisselliella known as the common clothes moth webbing clothes moth or simply clothing moth is a species of fungus moth family tineidae subfamily tineinae it is the type species of its genus tineola and was first described by arvid david hummel in 1823. The larva makes a portable case for itself out of wool and other fibres.

Larvae are about 1 3 to 1 2 inch long with pale yellow to white bodies and a brown head. Sometimes the larvae is hard to spot since it is the same color and texture of the fabric. Casemaking clothes moths have brownish gray wings with three dark spots. Larvae are a shiny creamy white with a brown head up to 1 2 inch long.

Anything longer than 1 cm is likely not eating your clothing. Fully grown larvae of the casemaking clothes moth make cigar shaped open ended silken cases that are about 3 8 inch long often with pieces of infested material incorporated into the case. These spots can be rubbed off on older moths. Clothes moth larvae the eggs hatch as clothes moth larvae this is the destructive stage.

The casemaking clothes moth is not as common as the webbing clothes moth. When grown and prior to pupation clothes moth larvae are between and inch long. The case containing a live larva is often attached to the infested material at on end. As you can see from the picture they have a creamy color body and a darker brown head.

The larvae spin long threads and construct tunnels of silk. Your natural woollen and silk clothing or carpets as examples and moisture to help intake of water they cannot drink in a conventional sense and hence require humidity. Clothes moth larvae feed on wool feathers fur hair leather lint dust paper and occasionally cotton linen silk and synthetic fibres. The adult moth is a pale silvery grey brown with dark spots and approximately 7mm long.

You will see the relative size of the grown larva compared to the weave of the knitwear in this picture for an idea of relative scale. Differences from indianmeal moths at about 1 4 inch long clothes moths are smaller than indianmeal moths about 1 2 inch long. Only two moth species will damage your clothes. Herrich schäffer when he established tineola.

The casemaking clothes moth tinea pellionella and the webbing clothes moth tineola. Larvae are yellowish in color. In outside buildings it has one generation however in heated buildings it can have two or more generations. Adult casemaking clothes moth actual size 1 2 inch as the larvae spins a protective case is made of the same fiber that it is digesting.

Case making clothes moth image licensed under cc.