Monopis crocicapitella

Description

Monopis crocicapitella, the pale-backed clothes moth, is a moth of the family Tineidae described by James Brackenridge Clemens in 1859. It has a nearly cosmopolitan distribution. It was first described from the eastern United States. It is particularly destructive of fabric and clothes. A study undertaken on eleven English Heritage properties over several years before the winter of 2017-2018, showed that the number of moths captured in traps increased dramatically in the study period. The wingspan is 10–16 mm. The ground colour of the hindwing is whitish grey. In western Europe, adults are on wing from June to October. The larvae feed on dried animal and vegetable refuse. They have been found in debris, in a dead rat, pigeon guano, bird's nests, and stored products of vegetable origin such as flour, corn and felt. They also feed on textiles, as the species' common name implies, and are particularly destructive.