Reports to the Board of Agriculture. 43 
II. Clothes Moths. 
Three species of small motlis attack clothes, woollen articles, 
carpets, etc. These all belong to the group Tineince, and have now 
become almost cosmopolitan ; in origin they are probably Old World 
species. 
The three species are the following : — 
i. The Case-making Clothes Moth (Tinea pellionella, L.). 
ii. The Webbing Clothes Moth ( Tineola Uselliella, 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 pellionella, 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 ISTovember. 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 larvae 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 the substance upon which the larvae have been feeding, or more 
often the larvae wander to the walls and ceilings and then fasten the 
