Stats

Lifespan: 2 months to 2 years
Size: Tiny
Diet: Carnivore
Activity: Nocturnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Temperate forest
Range: Western Eurasia
Movement: Flight
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Uncommon

About

This clever insect builds tiny silken tunnels inside dark closets to stay hidden while its larvae snack on natural fibers like wool and fur. While the grown-up moths never eat, they are expert hiders that prefer crawling through cozy fabrics over flying in the light.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A tiny ribbed egg laid on the underside of a host-plant leaf, hatching within days.
2.
caterpillar
A voracious caterpillar feeds and molts through several instars, growing rapidly.
3.
cocoon
A silk cocoon spun in leaf litter or soil while the body remodels into a winged adult.
4.
moth
A winged adult with feathery antennae and scaled wings, most active after dark.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Tineidae
Genus: Tineola
Species: Tineola bisselliella