Photo © Rob Edmunds

Case-bearing Clothes Moth

Tinea pellionella

Checklist Number
12.027 [B&F: 0240]

Verification
Record requires retention of specimen until confirmed, and may require dissection. Consult with CMR if unsure

Classification

Family:Tineidae
Subfamily:Tineinae
Genus:Tinea
Species:pellionella
Authority:Linnaeus, 1758

Local in houses, bird nests, barns, warehouses and granaries throughout the British Isles. In Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight sparsely distributed but widespread. Wingspan 9-16 mm. Probably the commonest tineid clothes moth, but cannot always be reliably separated from T. translucens or T. dubiella without dissection of the genitalia. Larva feeds on woollen materials, fur, feathers, hair, owl pellets and stored goods, living within a silken case, causing sufficient damage to be a serious pest in some areas.

The abundance in each month is indicated as follows:

No records
Very occasional
Irregular
Uncommon
Off-peak, but not unusual
Off-peak, but not unusual
Main flight time
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Adult
Larval

Records by week (adult)

Records by week (larval)