In the Lepidoptera order which includes all moths and butterflies, moths reign supreme, accounting for 90% of the order and encompassing over 160,000 species. Many moths are beautiful as well as useful, but there are two kinds of moths that are bothersome pests if they invade your home. These two pests, clothes moths, and pantry moths have many differences, and knowing these differences can help you properly identify which type you have.
What is a Clothes Moth?
As the name implies, clothes moths are pests that like to eat clothing and other items made of fabric. While they prefer natural fibers, they will even eat synthetic fibers if they believe that natural fibers might be interwoven with them. Because their favorite fibers are cotton, wool, and silk, it follows that their favorite items to attack include clothing, sheets and other bedding, curtains, upholstered furniture and even carpet.
Clothes moths are narrow and only about 1/2 inch in length. Their light beige color extends to their hair-covered wings. You might have a hard time identifying these moths by sight because spotting the clothes moth is rare. While many people know the saying "like a moth to a flame," this does not apply to the clothes moth. These moths avoid even a hint of light, preferring to occupy only dark and unoccupied spaces that include the type of items listed above.
Clothes moths experience a typical metamorphosis going through the stages of egg to larva to pupa before emerging as an adult moth. Interestingly, it is not the adult moths that are responsible for the damage to your fabric, rather it is the larvae. The moth lays around 40 eggs from which the larvae hatch. The larvae, 1/2 inch in length and ivory in color, feed on clothes and other fabric items, leaving trails that look like cobwebs in their wake.
What is a Pantry Moth?
Food moths, also known as pantry moths, target food rather than clothing. They particularly like dry goods such as cereal, flour, rice, oatmeal, dry pasta, cornmeal, nuts and even pet food.
Pantry moths are similar in size to the clothes moth, but their coloring is different. Their narrow wings are divided in color. The color patterns vary vastly among the species.
Unlike clothes moths, spotting these pests is not difficult. They are not afraid of light, and you will likely see them flying around the kitchen or inside the pantry. They are even known to fly around other parts of the house if they think food might be available elsewhere.
Pantry moths go through a metamorphosis very similar to that of the clothes moth. However, they are much more prolific and often lay up to 400 eggs at a time. They lay their eggs on or around stored food, and the creamy-white 1/2-inch larvae emerge from their eggs and immediately start foraging for food. Before long they will be infesting your stored food, often leaving trails of webbing behind.
If you suddenly find yourself facing an issue with moths in your home, you can now determine whether you are battling pantry moths or clothes moths. Knowing the exact pest you are dealing with, will hopefully help you take the steps needed to solve your problem.