Species Endrosis sarcitrella - White-shouldered House-Moth - Hodges#1067

1067

Endrosis sarcitrella (Linnaeus, 1758)

Phalaena (Tinea) sarcitrella Linnaeus, 1758 (536)

* phylogenetic sequence #030650

Forewing length 4.5-8.5 mm. (1)

Larva to 12 mm.

Adult - small brown, lightly mottled moth with white thorax, shoulders, and head.

Larva - white with a brownish head and is similar the the Brown House Moth.

In North America it ranges along the coast from Alaska to California, Nevada, Illinois, and the northeast. (1)

Near humans, especially around foodstuffs.

Larvae pupate in the spring, but can be seen as adults from April to September.

Larvae infest places with dry plant material such as bird nests, fungus as well as in fabrics and places where there are dried grains.

Females lay up to 200 eggs at a time in food stuffs. Egg incubation requires 10 to 58 days, the larval period is 38 to 133 days, and the period from egg to adult is 62 to 235 days. The adults only live about a month.

Can be a damaging pest in some areas, particularly to wine cellars, where the larvae bore into the corks and ruin the wine... unless you like Tequila :-). Most damage is caused by the byprodcts of the larvae, and is usually only a problem in factory settings. Feeding is done entirely during the larval stage, once they pupate, the moths don't feed and lack the mouthparts to do so.

Hodges, R.W. 1974. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 6.2, p.130; pl.6.29-30 (2)

Powell, J.A. & P.A. Opler 2009. Moths of Western North America. University of California Press. p.64, pl.4.28f, 4.35m (1)

Moth Photographers Group

Life cycle and general info

Range Map

General Info Plus image of live moth

Pest information Plus some life cycle info

Larva image And links to images of live moths