Types Of Moths In Tennessee – There are more than 160,000 species of moths worldwide. In addition, over 10,000 species of moths live in the United States. Moths are unique insects, they are one of only a few who can coil up their feeding tubes, which is a rare phenomenon in the insect kingdom. Even though there are thousands of species of moths, only a couple of them are serious pests homeowners should worry about. These species of moths include Indian Meal Moths, Mediterranean Flour Moths, Webbing and Case making Clothes moths.
Types of Moths – Indian Meal Moths
Known as stored-product pests, Indian meal moths are common household pests that feed on grain products, seeds, dried fruit, dog food, and spices. Adult Indian meal moths can grow up to 0.5 inches and they have reddish-brown feature forewings. The lower portion of their wings features a copper sheen, while the innermost portion features gray markings.
When at rest, the Indian meal moth’s wings sit in a roof-like position. These moths primarily contaminate food sources rather than eating them. This is due to discarded skin and fecal pellets collected by spun silk protective casings left behind by the moths.
Indian Meal Moth Larvae
Types Of Moths – Mediterranean Flour Moths
Also considered stored-product pests, Mediterranean flour moths are common in mills, warehouses, grocery stores, restaurants, and homes. As their name implies, these moths are known to infest flour, as well as nuts, chocolate, seeds, beans, biscuits, dried fruits, and many other stored foods.
Adult Mediterranean meal moths are pale gray and can grow up to 1.5 inches long. With a wingspan slightly less than one inch, these moths feature two black zigzag lines along with their forewings wings and sit at a slightly sloped angle while resting. These moths contaminate goods by attaching eggs to food particles and spinning silken tubes that form spheres in the product.
Mediterranean Meal Moth
Types Of Moths – Webbing and Case making Clothes Moths
Webbing clothes moths feed on natural fiber sources, including clothes that feature keratin-rich animal hairs like cashmere, silk, wool, and many others. These moths are about 0.5 inches long and feature a beige or off-white hue. With narrow, fringed wings featuring small hairs, webbing clothes moths are rarely seen because they avoid light.
Preferring dark, enclosed areas like basements, attics, and closets, the larvae of these moths pull their nutrition from natural fibers, which could lead to unrepairable damage to expensive garments. Case-making clothes moths are very similar to webbing clothes moths, but they feature tiny, dark specks on their wings.
Webbing Moth
Keep Moths at Bay with U.S. Pest Protection
No matter what type of moth has invaded your space, U.S. Pest Protection is at the ready to defend your dried foodstuffs and expensive garments. With industry-leading pest control technology in Tennessee, our certified technicians can ensure your home is moth-free all year long. Give one of our friendly team members a call today, or sign up now for your free moth inspection. Call 615-822-8500 or visit uspest.com for more information.
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