The Casemaking Clothes Moth is not as common as the Webbing Clothes Moth. A braconid wasp, Apanteles carpatus (Say), parasitizes larvae of case-bearing moths, killing the larva before pupation. Adult case-bearing carpet moth. Because case moth larvae have to make use of the materials they find to make their casing, they can look very differently. In Florida, this braconid and an ichneumonid wasp, Lymeon orbum (Say), were reared from the household casebearer (Hetrick 1957). The larva makes a portable case for itself out of wool and other fibres. The openings at the end allow the larvae to move and to eat. As always, the best way to discourage these guys is to remove their food source. The entire thing is about half an inch long. Perhaps they have never had a chance to emerge as tiny adult moths because you have discovered them and cleaned them away. Size: Their bodies are about 3/8 to 1/2 inches long, while larvae are up to 1/2 inch long. Case moths, bag moths or bagworms Fact Sheet Case moth. These spots can be rubbed off on older moths. Rather confusingly most of these moth species will sometimes switch from carpets to clothes and … Color: Casemaking clothes moths have brownish-gray wings with three dark spots. It is known from the eastern half of Australia, including Tasmania.. Very fashionable! Incorporated into the silken case are fibers from materials the larva have fed on. It’s made of silk fiber, sand, lint, and other miscellaneous debris. The larva lives in the case. Larvae are yellowish in color. Characteristics: Their wings are long and narrow. Other common names for case moths are bagworms. The casemaking clothes moth encloses itself in an open-ended tubular case, which it drags about wherever it goes. Saunders' case moth or the large bagworm (Metura elongatus) is a moth of the Psychidae family. Image: QM, Jeff Wright Introduction Case moths, bag moths or bagworms are names given to a group of moths (Family Psychidae) whose caterpillars make portable homes from silk, usually attaching plant material, detritus or sand grains to the outside. Eventually the larva will pupate in the case. This is one of the few moth species that can damage clothing and carpets but you can deter them from households. The one on the picture has gathered quite a few small sticks to make a casing with horizontal lines. Plaster bagworms are a close relative of the clothes moth. Especially with the sandy collar area. Keep in mind it's the larvae of the moth that are causing the destruction. Case bearing clothes moth larvae love to eat the natural fibers in our clothes and other soft-goods. Although they do play a very important role in ecosystems by cleaning up all sorts of debris, they are wreaking havoc inside of people's homes. It is possible that Case Bearing Moth Larvae my eat organic fibers and protein, hence being considered Household Pests. Sometimes, the larvae is hard to spot, since it is the same color and texture of the fabric. Photograph: Alamy. The adult moth is a pale silvery grey-brown with dark spots, and approximately 7mm long. Adult males have black wings, an orange hairy head and a black and orange banded abdomen. Case making Clothes Moth image licensed under CC. Clothes moths larvae, either the webbing clothes moth or case making moth. Adult Casemaking Clothes Moth (Actual Size 1/2 Inch) As the larvae spins, a protective "case" is made of the same fiber that it is digesting. It can look like an empty case or shell. The wingspan is about 30 mm for males. Unlike the webbing clothes moth, casemaking clothes moths seldom incorporate webbing or cocoons into the materials on which they are feeding. 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