WAYS OF THE WILD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 258, 31 October 1931, Page 1 (Supplement)

WAYS OF THE WILD.

THE CLOTHES MOTHS.

DESTROYERS OF FABRICS?

. (By, A. ,T. PYCKOFT.) '■ /

"• Mr. E. Chaytor, St. Helier's, asks for a*; description- of ' the life history of the; clothes moths,' : whose larvae are s6j destructive to fabrics; There are two j species ; of moths known as clothes; moths. One, the 'case-making clothes s moth,.'has.-, in" the..adult stage a wirigj expanse of about ha-if an inch. Its head j arid forewirigs are greyish yellow, or > buff, with indistinct dark spots on thej middle of the outer portion. The hindj wings are white, or greyish and Ailky.j It is so named because the larvae, fori, their -protection, make a portable case] out of spun, silk'and fragments of the; fabric upon which they feed. These cases] attain a length of from four,-sixteenths! to six-sixteenths of an inch. The larvae;

seldom or never 'leave their- .cases, 5 j but withdraw, completely into them || when resting, and when feeding, ori | . moving from ; place to place the; a head and first body segments are- | protruded. The- larvae spin but; J little web on the fabric upon which- J they feed, and. are more likely to crawl,! about, restlessly,- eating small- holes here} arid there. As the larvae grow the case j ; is : enlarged from '-time- -to' time both irij: |. •length and an circumference: This en- 5 || larging process ; has been interestingly! ; described as■; follows Without leaving|' j its " case,. the larva,' makes v a slit; half-j I[' way,/down one ; side,- and inserts a ■ tri-' t angular ( gore'of new ,material. A simivi i lar insertion is .made -on .the opposite |j side, and the larva reverses itself with-; ; ,out leaving the' case,: and makes corres*j podding, slits arid additions to the other i j half... The case Is lengthened by succes-j; sive additions"toi either' end. Exteriorly • 1 the case-appears to be a matted mass of: small .particles: of wool, interiorly it is* wth soft'whitish .silk. . By trans-: i ferring-the-larva from time to time, tofabrics of different colours, the case may j be made to 'asSube, as ".varied a. pattern ; as the experimenters desires,, and will; illustrate in. it? colouring the peculiar , of making* the enlargements and' j additions - described.' On reaching full ' . growth' the -.larva attaches . its rase by i silken threads to the material upon which , ■it has been feeding, or it may crawl, ; carrying its, case,- to, another part of tin? j iobm'. -'In: - either ..instance,', after', attach- J -ing.ithe .case,' it, seals it..with silk, thus | making a pupal .'chamber wherein it j • transforms - from the helpless pupa or t , chrysalis,to .the pretty and active moth.. ' - Passes'-Through Four Stages. • The Vcase-riiakirig clothes moth, when « „ 1 .in the' adult V' stage,; has impertectly-j, j developed; niouth' parts,- and could'- not > ij! 'feed upon fabrics 'if/ it desired. Its pur*'- 5 J pose iri life is merely 'to ' lay> eggs , that : |i ; '(leveldp into the •larvae,- or worms; which; J {j cause destruction, so 'that; every moth j J to .reduce infestation by. pre- ; j VCi) tipg more eggs; being laid. The moths : .layjtneii""£ggs iri and about clothing and 5 other objects :subject: to ;attack. Fronij the eggs .are v hatched; •; the., larvae, or!j 'Words." ; WMii' ,these ; r become; fully ' : groWii' they' are Whitish and about hal,f < j an inch,'long. • -.The -larvae. spin cocooiis;;. : ,in j which they transform to the pupa, or " :j .chrysalis'- and; during; this'..stagey -j ■the-insect changes'to the adult,' or 'moth;..; 11 Thus each feneration of clothes moths passes • through I four' distinct Stages, st namely,'the egg,"the larva, or worm,- tlve ; - pupap or chrysalis,'and' the adult moth. 7 qnly the; worm or' larva of the clothes ' moth is capable of destroying fabrics, f i The adult jof the, webbing clothes j v moth is about' the . same -size as that of,. the case-making species,'but its colour "; ; is uriifbririly 'pkle buff. ' without - spots. I The moths': 0 f both -species considerably in size; they. seldom have a" wing expanse of over half an inch, and ; ; frequently are -very much smaller.. The.;; I webbing clothes moth most abun- I dant aW injurious clothes moth. The . larva of the webbing clothes moth resembles that of the case-making, moth. • I Unlike the latter, however, it makes no .]j portable case; but spins silky, tranSpar- i ent tubes, or tunnels, wherever it; goes, - j Often it- spins' a cobwebby ".mass-J- o,f i silken threads, apparently at random, as-it crawls about fabrics, which gives ;' to its food an unsightly appearance. ; The larvae may be : quite v restless, and I often may be seen< crawling over fabrics | or upon floors beneath, upholstered furni- ' | ture> ;from which they; have dropped', j They, attain, a length, of about half an « inch, and .are white. When , the larva .': i becomes full .grown ,it ; spins a cocoon, pt"; f silk.- Within the cocoon the -' 'transfer-.' ; ! mation from the larva; to the adult"takes ; i place, and, as in the case of the;'other«j|| species the chrysalis works' sts way partly ; -bjl out of the cocoon as the moth is about " ijil to ■) emerge. ..Complete. • elimination of . ijjlj clothes inbths from the home is difficult". ? |]|

Eternal Vigilance Necessary. f ;j • They breed not only in wearing . ap- ] parel, but in carpets, rilgs and uphol- j stered; furniture,Ta "single, piece of which \ may.'often furnish a steady supply of jj; inoths to restock an entire -house. Cold § storage for summer protection of furs and ] valuable fabrics' has rio cqualbut may he ] beyond the means of some/ Chests made 1 of wellrseasoned' wood' or .• or 1 metals, ? witli trghtly fitting.covers or doors, while '!> they have-no killing value - in.- them- | selves, can be used safely as containers f

in which'to treat clothing with naph- || thalene, which is obtainable either lii 3 k flake« or in balls, commonly called moth 1| balls. (Constant- watchfulness is the H watchword for' successful control: No if treatment known to kill clothes moths JJj already in. fabrics will have any lasting.]! effect in -' keeping other clothes', motlts 3j! from infesting the fabrics later if they, i s are Jeft exposed about the house. There.'Jj is no treatment known that is practice bM that will render wearing apparel abso : lutely immune to- attack. Thorough ijj brushing, beating, and, if possible, suu-j)| ning articles is suggested. Xaphthaleue |'| is very effective in wardrobes, trunks, f and tight chests:,when ;the fumes given ; | off by the slow , evaporation of .-tlx ,|i crystals is confined. If used in places r | frequently opened which permit the :|j fumes to escape naphthalene is only r; | partly effective..The silver,fish, Lejiitsma,; | which is common in many houses .in;, | Auckland, is, also very destructive to | wallpapers, bindings of books, seams of , J leather; bags,' leather 'goods, and uianVy | other articles.. The young are hatched ; j| from an egg. *:d immediately commence ; 1 to forage, for-themselvei '.. Silver fish -are 1 | wingless six-footed insects with f which . have,; bristle-like caudal append- 1 ages: The - ; are sometimes 'erroneously; ff called .silver,, moths. Clothes moths' and;. f silver fish, are not" natives of New .Zea4 I tend. ' '' • ..* - • | Ii