Likelihood Of Infestations By Tineola Bisselliella (Lepidoptera: Tineidae) From Natural Reservoirs

Abstract:
The webbing clothes moth Tineola bisselliella is economically the most import pest on wool, fur, and feathers. The larvae cause damage in stores, museums and households. Infestation can be through import of infested material or by new infestations out of natural reservoirs. Natural reservoirs are believed to be bird, rodent or insect nests. Rearing experiments with collected different nesting materials have shown that T. bisselliella is capable to breed in animal nests as well as on stored seeds. Outdoor trapping with pheromones for catching males or with attractive food for the larvae to catch females indicate that the presence of T. bisselliella outside buildings is very limited. Although the webbing clothes moth has the potential to survive in non-synanthropic environments, it does not frequently occur there. Intra-guild competition with other tineid moths prevents T. bisselliella from establishing sustainable outdoor population. New infestations from the field are unlikely and preventive control must focus on quarantine to avoid the pest’s introduction via contaminated material.