This Caterpillar was unfortunately introduced into Australia by accident. It is a pest on textiles, both overseas, and in Australia, although many determinations of specimens from Australia may be in error, as the adult moths are superficially very similar to other species in this genus.

The Caterpillar lives in a case covered in fibres from its food item. It feeds on anything containing keratin, such as wool, feathers, and even animal corpses. It grows to a length of about 1 cm. It pupates in its case, and extrudes the pupa just before the adult moth emerges.

(Picture: courtesy of William F. Lyon, Entomology, Ohio State Universitiy)

The adult moth is brown, with a wingspan of about 1 cm.

(Photo: courtesy of Pest Supply)

Further reading :

Densey Clyne,
The Best of Wildlife in the Suburbs, Oxford University Press Australia 1993, pp. 125-128.

Gaden S. Robinson & Ebbe S. Nielsen,
Tineid Genera of Australia, Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 2, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 1993, pp. ix,x,10,246-252,263,279.

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(updated 3 February 2009)