Reports to the Board of Agriculttire. 43 



II. Clothes Moths. 



Three species of small moths attack clothes, woollen articles, 

 carpets, etc. These all belong to the group Tineiim, and have now 

 become almost cosmopolitan ; in origin they are probably Old World 

 species. 



The tliree species are the following : — 



i. The Case-making Clothes Moth {Tinea pellionella, L.). 

 ii. The Webbing Clothes Moth (Tineola Usclliella, Hum.), 

 iii. The Tapestry Moth {Tinea tapetzella, L.). 



They are all common and very destructive in this country, both in 

 private houses and in stores. 



1. The Case-making Clothes Moth, Tinea jpellionella, L., is a small 

 moth with wing expanse of nearly half an inch, the fore wings are 

 yellowish-grey with three indistinct brownish spots, the hind wings 

 grey, and the wing-fringes grey. The larvae feed on all woollen 

 goods, carpets, furs, and feathers. The moth appears in February, 

 and may continue in successive broods until November. In America 

 there appears to be only one brood in the north, the moths appearing 

 from June to August, but in the south there are two or more broods, 

 the moths appearing from January to October. 



The eggs are very small and are usually laid on the food material. 

 The larvse are small dull white caterpillars, the head reddish-brown, 

 and the second segment with a dark brown plate behind. They form 

 a tubular, slightly flattish case in which they pass the whole of their 

 existence, the head and first few segments and legs being protruded 

 when the caterpillars move from place to place. This case has fre- 

 quently to be enlarged as the larva grows ; this is done by the insect 

 making a slit half-way down the tube and then inserting a patch of 

 new material, and then a similar slit is made and filled in on the 

 opposite side, and then the same is done at the opposite half of the 

 case, the larva having previously turned round inside the tube ; when 

 the tube wants lengthening, additions are simply made at each end of 

 the tube. These larval cases are made from the material upon which 

 the insects are feeding, change of food thus changing the colour of the 

 case ; sometimes when feeding on variously coloured fabrics the cases 

 are thus multi-coloured. Inside each case is lined by a fine white 

 silk spun by the larva. When mature these " houses " are either spun 

 to tlie substance upon which the larvse have been feeding, or more 

 often the larvse wander to the walls and ceilings and then fasten the 



