Reports to the Board of A grieulture. 43 



II. Clothes Moths. 



Tlnx'o sjK.'cie.s of small moths attack clothes, woollen articles, 

 cai-j)ets, etc. These all l)elnnj^' tn the fnonp Tinein(r, and have now 

 become almost cosmopolitan ; in origin they are prohahly Old World 

 species. 



The three sjx'cies are the following:^ 



i. The L'ase-makinj; Clothes Moth {Tinea pellionella, L). 

 ii. The Webhinf,' Clothes Moth {Tino>hi bisrllidla, Hum.), 

 iii. The Taj^estry Moth {Tinea tapefzella, L.). 



They are all common and very destructive in this country, l)oth in 

 private houses and in stores. 



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

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

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

 grey, and the wing- fringes grey. Tiie larva^ feed on all wtMjllen 

 gootls, carpets, furs, and feathers. The moth appears in Februar}', 

 and may continue in successive bnxKls until November. In America 

 there appears to be only one brood in the north, the moths api)earing 

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

 the moths apjiearing from Januar}' to October. 



The eiisrs are verv small and arc usuallv laid on the fotnl material. 

 Tile larvic are small dull whit<i caterpillai-s, the heail reddish-brnwn, 

 and the second segment with a dark bmwn jdate behind. They f«>nn 

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

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

 when the aUerpillai-s move from place to place. Tliis case has fre- 

 quently to be enlarge*! as the larva grows ; this is done by the insect 

 making a slit half-way <lown the tuln? and then inserting a patch of 

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

 op]K)site side, and then the same is d<»ne at the opjmsite half of the 

 ca.'je, the larva having previously turned r<»und inside the tube; when 

 the tul>e wants lengtiiening, additi«tns are simjtly ma«le at each en<l of 

 the tul>e. Tliese larval cases are made from the material u\Hm which 

 the insects are feeding, change of f(MKl thus changing the colour of the 

 ca.se; .sometimes when feeding on variously colourenl fabrics the ca.ses 

 are thus multi-coh»ured. Inside each case is line<l by a fine whito 

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

 to the substance upon which the lar\je have been feeding, or morc 

 often the larv.T wander to the walls and ceilings and then fa.ston the 



