Facts About Moths
Moths are a group of insects closely related to butterflies. Although there are more than 160,000 different species of moths in the world, only a small number of these thrive in our homes and are considered pests.
In this section, you can read about controlling and preventing moth infestations, as well as learn how to identify individual species of moths. You can find an overview of all our articles on moths here.
What Type of Moth Is Infesting Your Home?
If you have a moth infestation and have found an adult moth, you can try to identify the species using the images below. Click on the image to learn more about each species. You can see all our articles about moths here.
If you're unable to identify the moth using the images above, you can use the chart below.
| Moth species | Image | Length in cm | Wingspan in cm | Occurrence | Food | Characteristics | Control | Prevention |
| Clothes moth |  |
0,5 – 0,9 | 0,9 – 1,6 | Frequent | Organic textiles* and possibly also synthetics or plant textiles | Light-averse – tendency to run rather than fly | Cleaning of textiles | Correct storage of textiles |
| Case-bearing clothes moth |  |
0,5 – 0,7 | 1,2- 1,7 | Frequent | Organic textiles* and dry food** | Light-averse – tendency to run rather than fly | Cleaning textiles + their storage locations | Habitat cleaning + proper storage of textiles and food |
| Brown house moth |  |
0,8 – 1,5 | 1,6 – 2,6 | Common | Organic textiles*, plant materials and certain animal materials | Attracted by light | Cleaning of habitats + cleaning of textiles + possible discarding of food | Reducing damp areas in the home |
| Indian meal moth |  |
0,8 – 1,0 | 1,6 – 2,0 | Common | Dry food** and plant materials | Attracted by light | Habitat cleaning + food discarding | Habitat cleaning + proper food storage |
*Organic textiles refer to all textiles derived from animals such as wool, fur, feathers, hair, down, silk, leather, etc. Note that synthetic and plant-based materials (such as cotton) can also be attacked if they are dirty or mixed with organic materials.
**Dry food refers mainly to plant-based dry goods commonly stored in kitchen cabinets, such as cereals, grains, seeds, spices, flour, bulgur, etc. However, other products like tobacco, tea, instant coffee, and powdered milk can also be affected.
Keep in mind that we have only listed the four most common moth species above. You can find a more complete overview of 12 different moth species here.
What Are Moths?
Moths belong to the order of nocturnal butterflies, also known as night moths, which is a suborder of butterflies. There are more than 160,000 different species of moths in the world.
The main differences between butterflies and moths are:
- Taxonomy: Butterflies are a monophyletic group, meaning all butterflies are descended from the same common ancestor. This is not the case for moths, which come from several families of night moths.
- Anatomy: Although there are no clear-cut differences between butterflies and moths, a general rule of thumb is that butterflies have thin antennae with small knobs at the ends, whereas moths lack these knobs.
Which Moths Are Pests?
As mentioned, there are over 160,000 different species of moths worldwide. However, only a small fraction of these moths thrive in our homes and are considered actual pests.
In the UK, there are about 15 species, of which only four are commonly found. These moths can be divided into two groups:
- Moths that infest textiles
- Moths that infest food
This division is not exhaustive, as some moth species can infest both textiles and food. For instance, the brown house moth and Indian meal moth can infest plant materials and certain animal-based materials.
Economic and Environmental Damage
Some moth species pose significant problems in commercial and environmental contexts rather than in private homes.
In the UK, the Mediterranean flour moth, whose larvae thrive in flour, can cause damage to production facilities in mills, bakeries, food storage areas, and other places where large amounts of flour and grain products are stored.
Abroad (and to a lesser extent in the UK), several species of moths attack crops, forests, plantations, etc., which can also lead to significant production damage.
Larvae Are the Culprits
Most adult moths do not eat—they usually don't even have mouthparts. The adult moths that do consume food typically feed on nectar.
The real pests are the larvae, which eat materials they can digest. Most moth larvae feed on a limited range of food sources, such as the clothes moth, which feeds on organic textiles, or the Indian meal moth, which feeds on dry foods. However, some moths can feed on food from multiple categories, and a few species are even nearly omnivorous.
Extent of the Damage
The extent of the damage caused by larvae naturally depends on the number of larvae and their species.
For instance, if you find only one Indian meal moth larva in a bag of grain, you can simply discard the bag. However, if you see moths flying around the kitchen and find larvae and cocoons behind the kitchen cabinet, you'll need to take more drastic measures.
When it comes to clothes moths, the situation varies as well. If you find a discarded blouse with a few holes, the problem is usually limited and can be solved with thorough cleaning and proper storage of clothing/textiles. However, if you find several garments with holes, more serious action is required.