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Tineidae : Tineinae

Case-bearing Clothes Moth

TINEA pellionella Linnaeus, 1758
Picture
Life Cycle Guide - Adult Only
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 9-16mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : N America
UK Distribution: Widely distributed locally over British Isles
UK Conservation Status -
  • Local = 101 - 300  10km squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena (Tinea) pellionella Linnaeus, 1758
Type Species - Tinea
  • Phalaena pellionella Linnaeus, 1758
Type Locality -
  • Not Specified
Flight Period: January - December
Habitat: Indoors : Outbuildings
Similar Species -
  • Tinea translucens Meyrick, 1917
  • Tinea dubiella Stainton, 1859
Larva: The larva feeds on a wide variety of foodstuffs including wood,fur,hair,Owl Pellets,stored vegetable products, living in a portable silk case which they enlarge as they grow. It is known to cause serious damage and as such is considered a pest in some areas.
Overwinters as: Adult
Observations: This moth has grey-brown forewings with two or three black spots with the one nearest the termen being the most prominent.
The head of this moth is reddish-brown or orangey.This is the most common of all the clothes moth and is considered a pest in many areas due to damage caused by larva.Infestation may occur under certain conditions.
Similar species T.dubiella has darker greyish forewing colour with sprinkled with orange -brown scales.
In order to positively identify the similar species,genitalia dissection would possibly be needed.

Moth flies late afternoon and are sometimes attracted to light.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants Worldlwide
(See Larva)
Taxonomy
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Type Species TINEA:

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Literary Ref:

Type Locality:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Tineoidea
Tineidae
Tineinae
TINEA Linnaeus, 1758
Tinea pellionella Linnaeus, 1758
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Phalaena pellionella Linnaeus, 1758
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PHALAENA (Tinea) pellionella Linnaeus, 1758
= Phalaena zoolegella Scopoli, 1763
= Tinea demiurga Meyrick, 1920
= Tinea gerasimovi Zagulajev, 1978
= Tinea pelliomella (lapsus)
= Tinea albella O. G. Costa 1836
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TINEA Linnaeus, 1758
= Autoses Hübner 1825
= Tineopis Zagulajev 1960
= Acedes Hübner 1825
= Dystinea Börner 1925
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Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.536 - n.254
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Not Specified