Common Carpet Moth

The common carpet or white banded toothed carpet epirrhoe alternata is a moth of the family geometridae the species was first described by otto friedrich müller in 1764.

Common carpet moth.

It is found throughout the palearctic and the near east in north america it ranges across the northern tier of the united states plus every province and territory of canada. Concise guide to the moths of great britain. In association with the norfolk moth survey. Identifying clothes carpet moths webbing clothes moth case bearing clothes moth.

Common carpet epirrhoe alternata the moths of norfolk. The common house moth and carpet moth have very similar life cycles. The wood carpet is also similar and can be difficult to distinguish from the common carpet. Similar to the galium carpet but the central band across the wings is narrower with more distinct markings on the hindwings.

The most common clothes moths are the webbing clothes moth easily identified with a golden colour and around half an inch in length and the case bearing moth which can be identified about inch long and their forewings are mottled brown with one large and a few. Carpet moth larvae feed predominately on keratin found in natural fibres such as wool and so can live on any carpet with some wool content. The webbing clothes moth otherwise known as the common clothes moth is prolific across the us and is the most likely carpet moth you will find followed by the case bearing clothes moth which attack carpets and clothes. The adult moths do not live much long but still female ones can lay hundreds of eggs in their brief lifetime.

A carpet moth infestation can be a costly problem as it can cause serious and often irreperable damage to carpets rugs and other soft furnishings in the home. They lay their eggs in dark hidden quiet parts of carpets and rugs in the house and it takes around 4 to 10 days for hatching. The wood carpet is slightly larger with one thick white band across the forewing and hindwing in the common carpet this band is divided by a black line. The specific name is commonly misspelled biselliella for example by g.

70 097 bf1764 common marbled carpet dysstroma truncata hufnagel 1767 synonyms. Tineola bisselliella known as the common clothes moth webbing clothes moth or simply clothing moth is a species of fungus moth family tineidae subfamily tineinae it is the type species of its genus tineola and was first described by arvid david hummel in 1823. Common carpet epirrhoe alternata müller 1764 wingspan 20 25 mm.