Case Bearing Moth Larva
(04/10/2007) Weird bug
This thing is about half an inch long, and there were two of them, in an old cream-cheese lid.... I had picked it up to throw it out, but got distracted and put it down next to me, and then I noticed the pieces of dirt were moving.... not only that the worm like thing can come out of either side! Anyone know what this thing is? One of them escaped, but I got photos of the remaining one..... he was about to crawl off of my workbench, but I caught him...they seem very aware... the worm part doesn't come out unless you stop moving.



This is a Case Bearing Moth Larva. We get blurry photos and pumpkin seed descriptions all the time from all over the world. Your photo is quite exceptional.

Regarding the "case bearing moth larva" posted 04/10/2007); you might want to add that these insects also go by the names "household casebearer" and "plaster bagworm." Most of these found in the United States likely are in the genus Phereoeca, but the genus Praececodes also has been reported from the southern USA. See http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/urban/occas/household_casebearer.htm for more detailed information.
Ed Saugstad
Sinks Grove, WV.

Clothes Moth
(03/20/2006) Whats this ?
Can anybody help ? Is this a carpet moth emerging from its cocoon ? The case is approx 1cm long. I have several fist sized areas of damage to carpets under cupboards where the cocoons are attached. They are also attached to walls.
Cheers
Robert



Hi Robert,
We are not sure if this is a Clothes Moth or a Case-Bearing Clothes Moth. Our suspicion is thqt it is the latter, Tinea pellionella.

Case Bearing Moth Larva from Malaysia and Cave Dwelling Centipede from Borneo
(12/27/2005) what's this bug?
Hi bugman,
I was casually eating my cocopops and bran-flake breakfast in my apartment this morning, when I noticed this strange insect hanging from the underside of my table. The coin is a 20 Sen MYR coin, about 1 inch in diameter. The small white 'cocoon' was oval shape with a hole in each end, and the worm-like creature would coninuously poke its head out and crawl along a tiny distance each time. I assume it's the larvae of some insect, but have no idea what. If you can identify it, I'd be highly grateful.
Best regards,
Chris
Sarawak, Malaysia
Ps, I thought you may appreciate a photo of what looks very similar to a house centipede, but was actually observed in a remote cave in the interior of Borneo, which if I'm not mistaken would make it a "Thereupoda decipiens" aka a Long-legged Centipede. All photos are my own, so do with them as you please.



Hi Chris,
Your mystery cocoon is a Case Bearing Moth Larva. These are benign creatures that feed on pet hair. We love the Long Legged Centipede photo.

Case Making Clothes Moth
(10/13/2005) ahh!!
Hi, I was cleaning out my room, sort of spring clean when I found out these were all over the place, below the bed on the carpet. Most of them were underneath boxes and underneath chests of draws. A closer inspection could see that some were wriggling, worm like creature with small brown heads, that were popping out of the pods as shown. Im kind of feeling quite sick now, never had them before, what are they? where do they come from? how do I humanely get rid of them? About 6 months ago I had purchsed a new mattress could that be the cause? I did look on your website but cannot find anything that resembles what I found. I have enclosed a photo.
Thank You
Dave



Hi Dave,
You have two different insects. In the center is a Dermestid or Carpet Beetle Larva. The cocoon are some type of moth. We checked with Eric Eaton and here is his identification: "Looks like casemaking clothes moths, Tinea pellionella, or webbing clothes moths, Tineola bisselliella.  family Tineidae.  I am no expert, but that is what I suspect.  Really curious what is under the bed, though:-) Eric"

A Cache of Case Bearers
(07/18/2005) a mystery bug I found
I've attached a photo of several egg "casings" I found in my bedroom.  I placed these casings (each between 1/4 - 1/2") in a plastic bag, and you can see some wormy-looking things popping out of some.   They eventually turn into a thin brown bug with wings.  What are these things ? (I live in South Florida).
Margie



Hi Margie,
That is quite a Cache of Case-Bearers you have there. These are moth larvae that build a protective case and usually feed on pet hair. They are an annoyance but basically benign.

Casebearer
(06/03/2005) Mystery bug
I live in Guernsey Island, just off coast of Cherbourg peninsula. I have just seen a bug which looked a bit like a tiny hermit crab. It was a little larger than a grain of rice, and it's shell or cocoon looked to be composed of tiny grains of grit and sand. A head and legs were just visible as it crawled along the top of a granite wall. Other cocoons, stationery, appeared to be fixed in crevices in the wall. Looking in books, I found it resembled a caddis fly larva - except it was not in water. I took a picture, but it is almost impossible to see the bug, as it matches its background so well. So here is my drawing. I'm intrigued as to what it might be.
Mike



Hi Mike,
You have Casebearing Moth Larva, Phereoeca fallax. They are harmless, and often feed on fallen pet hair. Your drawing is pretty great. You can see photos and get more information by visiting our clothesmoth page.

Case-Bearing Moth Larva
(04/07/2005) What's this bug?
I live in Southern California , about a mile from the beach.  I have been seeing these in my house for about 2 years now.  They are usually slowing climbing up a wall, but just yesterday my son found one on his shirt.  Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Michael



Hi Michael,
You have a Case-Bearing Moth Larva, Phereoeca fallax. They usually feed on pet hair and will not harm clothes.

Case-Bearing Moth Larva
(02/08/2005) Hi Bugman!
I was going to email you with my pictures of this bug that I have found twice on the walls of my home in Southern California but fortunately found the 'Case Bearing Moth' email on your site. Thanks for solving my riddle! Here are my pictures if you'd like them for your database
Jason Roberts



Thanks Jason,
We like the dime for scale.

Case Bearing Moth
(01/26/2005) mystery bug
Good day Bugman! I have been searching everywhere for someone who has the knowledge to help me out! I am currently living in Taiwan, and have recently moved into a new apartment. My landlord told us that this apartment had been vacant for about 10 months before we moved in. Well, I started seeing these strange spots on the walls, and realized that they moved imerceptibly! Taking a closer look at what I initially thought was cobwebs (because they like to move up and down the wall in the corners where 2 walls meet), I discovered they are in fact alive! When I squish them, they are as thin as paper, and there is no crunch or resistance of any kind. The black protrusion you see coming from the bottom can protrude from the top or the bottom, but not simultaneously. It has no big range of motion, and has a very tentative hold on the surface it is against. This one is on the outside of my toilet bowl. And you'll notice that this one has an orange coloring, very distinct. Most of the ones I've seen have been all brown and mottled, resembling tree bark, without this orange splash. There never was any big population, I found maybe 10 in the whole 3 bedroom apartment when we moved in. Since then, I've found maybe a dozen more, and these at long intervals...since this one on the toilet bowl, I haven't seen another for 2 weeks or so, and so it's not a question of infestation or management, I just can't seem to find anyone who can tell me what this is! I hope these pictures and this information reach you alright, and I am eagerly anticipating your response! Thanks again for your excellent site, and I hope to hear from you soon!
Kimberly



Dear Kimberly,
You have Case-Bearing Moth larvae probably Phereoeca fallax or a near relative.

Case Bearing Moths
(01/09/2005) Little worms in white paper houses
Dear Bugman,  I recently moved to Florida to a just constructed home.  I have a monthly bug service that I pay for dearly, as our new home had cockroaches before it was even occupied.  Now I keep finding a very strange bug in my bathroom.  It is a little tiny reddish worm carrying a big (1/4 inch long) paper shell, acutally dragging it around.  The shell looks similar to a large sunflower seed in shape, but is white and papery.  When you go near them, they retreat into the little shell.  Then when they think it's safe, they pop out of the end and start akwardly dragging the shell around again.  I keep picking them up and tossing them outside, but everytime I go into my bathroom there are more of them.  Yesterday when I was taking a bath, one crawled up out of my bubblebath, pulling his little paper shell with him.  Now that's the last straw for me.  Yuck!  What could these things be?  None of my neighbors have ever seen or heard of such a thing.  They suggested silverfish, but I know what they look like and these definatley are not silverfish. 
Help!
Leslie M*^^!##s



Hi Leslie,
You have Case-Bearing Moth larvae. The small larvae carry a noticeable case made of fine sand and debris. The case, which is about a quarter to half an inch long, is flattened on top and bottom, expanded at its center and tapered at both ends. They are often found on walls (both outside and inside) of houses and other structures. Larvae are said to feed primarily on insect remains, fur, flannel, and hair: they do not seem to be a clothes pest. We have gotten many letters from Florida regarding Case Bearing Moths.

Update: Invasion of Privacy????? (03/22/2008)
March 22, 2008
Hello,
We are writing to you on behalf of Leslie M*^^!##s.  She has asked us to contact you to see if you will consider removing the content about her ... Please allow us to introduce ourselves.  We are ReputationDefender, Inc., a company dedicated to helping our clients preserve their good name on the Internet.  Our founders and employees are all regular Internet users.  Like our clients, and perhaps like you, we think the Internet is sometimes unnecessarily hurtful to the privacy and reputations of everyday people.  Even content that is meant to be informative can sometimes have a significant and negative impact on someone’s job prospects, student applications, and personal life.  We invite you to learn more about who we are, at [web address removed] . When our clients sign up with our service, we undertake deep research about them on the Internet to see what the Web is saying about them.  We find sites where they are discussed, and we ask our clients how they feel about those sites.  Sometimes our clients express strong reservations about the content on particular websites.  They may feel hurt, ashamed, or "invaded" by the content about them on those sites. As you may know, more and more prospective employers, universities, and newfound friends and romantic interests undertake Internet research, and the material they find can strongly impact their impressions of the people they are getting to know.  When people apply for jobs, apply for college or graduate school, apply for loans, begin dating, or seek to do any number of other things with their lives, hurtful content about them on the Internet can have a negative impact on their opportunities.  At some point or another, most of us say things about ourselves or our friends and acquaintances we later regret.  We're all human, and we all do it! We are writing to you today because our client, Ms. M*^^!##s, has told us that she would like the content about her on your website to be removed as she considers it outdated. Would you be willing to remove or alter the content? Simply omitting her last name would be more than sufficient. It would mean so much to Ms. M*^^!##s, and to us. Considerate actions such as these will go a long way to help make the Internet a more civil place. Thank you very much for your consideration.  We are mindful that matters like these can be sensitive.  We appreciate your time. Please let us know if you have removed or changed the content on this site by sending an e-mail to:   [email address removed]. If another individual would be more appropriate to contact on this matter, we’d be grateful if you could forward this message to him or her. Yours sincerely,
Bistra
ReputationDefender Service Team

Hello Bistra,
Though it is time consuming, we can provide a do-over for her by removing Ms M*^^!##s name from our website post haste. We never intended to invaid her privacy. We merely posted a query letter she willingly sent to our site. We would hate to impact her potential dating opportunities, her chances of getting into a university (we would never forgive ourselves if this was a deal breaker with Harvard) or her chances of getting a lucrative job merely because of the world knowing that she had Case Bearing Moths in her bathroom. It is sad that potential love connections and employers could be so cruel and insensitive when a good look at their own closets, kitchen cupboards or bathrooms might reveal an infestation of carpet beetles, meal moths or bathroom flies. Our sympathies go out to Ms. M*^^!##s and we wish her all the luck in her subsequent internet romances, post graduate work, and securing that six figure income now that she cannot be connected to Case Bearing Moth Larvae on the internet.

Our readership weighs in:
On the " Leslie M*^^!##s" thing.
(03/24/2008)
I have a sneaking suspicion that this young woman probably had a problem with an entirely different place all together.  Or perhaps had no problem at all and this company is phishing.  Either way, they just did an internet search for her name and, since it came up on your site, they mailed you.  That's my opinion and can be taken as such.  This sort of thing always makes me mail the person in question to see if it's true. Bye!  Love your site!
Jill Sylvan

Invasion of Privacy
(03/24/2008)
Dear What’s That Bug,
At first I thought that your letter from the ReputationDefender team was a joke since it was one of the funniest things I have read in a long time.  Ironically, I think that worse than having your name associated with a picture of a Case Bearing Moth Larvae in your bathroom, is being associated with a “reputation defender team” trying to get your name removed from being associated with a picture of a Case Bearing Moth Larvae in your bathroom!  Personally, I would feel honored to have my name as one of those privileged few who have had their pictures and/or letters posted on such a respected and loved web site.  In fact, I wouldn’t want to have as friends or employers those who would think that writing such a letter to What’s That Bug would be liability. Some of the coolest and most interesting people I know are those who are frequent visitors to this site. Keep up the good work!
Laura from NJ
PS ­ please withhold my last name in case I regret sending this letter in a few years

Clothes Moths
(10/07/2004) moth
Hello,
I live in Northern NJ and certainly never thought I could get moths.  My dry cleaner never even saw one in all the years of her business. I noticed a few things flying around in my hallway about 2 weeks ago but thought they were little fruit flies or something.  As the days went by I noticed more of these and a few in the house.  I am terribly afraid of bugs of any kind so I frantically started cleaning the hallway to find a white with a pale greenish worm on one of my jackets.
 
I right away suspected moths and took a few of my sweater coats to the dry cleaners.  We found two cocoons on the bottom rim of one of the sweaters.  Another day has past and I noticed three on one of my suede coats. I thought they only liked wool?!  I have 2 long suede coats two that have lambs wool around the collar and cuffs which have the cocoons.  Another suede coat with fur and a few other sweater coats all have them.
My landlord went through them all and put them in plastic bags and I am going to take them to the cleaners today.  Three jackets are left in the hallway without any visible signs of cocoons but I am sure I should clean them anyway.  There was one moth hanging out on my ceiling in the hallway yesterday and now I just spotted one on my wall leading into my kitchen (which may be the one from the hallway?).  I took a few pics but under the nervous pressure to get close to it they are blurry.  I am attaching it anyway.
I have no idea how they got here because I am obsessively neat and work so much that I rarely have food in the house.  I do have a lovebird who eats a pellet diet but has spray millet for treats…this I keep in the refrigerator though. Will they go near him and can he get sick from them if they do?  I am so upset over this and how can I get rid of them if I do not know where they started.  The coats were not in a closet but hanging on hooks outside my door and I live on the second floor and my landlord doesn’t have them.  However, one of my bosses said they had clothes moths a few months ago.  Is there any correlation?
What should I do? 
Any help with be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!
Lisa Tomsky, MS, RD
Innovative Nutrition Consultants
www.dietaryconsultant.com



Hi Lisa,
Moths are attracted to lights, so if anyone in your vicinity has either clothes moths or pantry moths, they can easily fly into your home and begin to feed if they find a food source. Naturally, a sheepskin lining in a coat is a food source. Animal skins including suede are also viable food sources. One of the best ways to protect your woolens is to take all clothing to the dry cleaners at least once a year, whether or not you wear it.

Case Bearing Moth
(09/30/2004) Can't quite figure this one out...
Hello Mr. Bugman!
I love your site and you've done a great job cataloging and explaining to people what bugs they have been lucky enough to photograph or see. I searched and couldn't find out about my bug. I suspect that it's a bagworm but i'm not sure. I live in St. Petersburg, Florida in an older wood framed house. We have lived her for 2.5 years and i've never seen this insect until the past few weeks. I've seen probably a 8 or so. They are usually >crawling up a wall - inching their way up pulling this sandy very flat sack like thing behind them. In the photos I've attached, I placed in on my bathroom sink to get a better shot. He has some lint attached to >him from the baseboard. I didn't measure this one but another one I just found is about 1/8" and he was smaller than this one. I would appreciate any feedback if possible.
Thanks so much!
Mo Eppley



Hi Mo Eppley,
You have Case-Bearing Moth larvae. We have additional information on our clothesmoth page. The small larvae carry a noticeable case made of fine sand and debris. The case, which is about a quarter to half an inch long, is flattened on top and bottom, expanded at its center and tapered at both ends. They are often found on walls (both outside and inside) of houses and other structures. Larvae are said to feed primarily on insect remains, fur, flannel, and hair: they do not seem to be a clothes pest. We have gotten several letters from Florida regarding Case Bearing Moths.

Case Bearing Moth Larva
(08/03/2004) Egg-sack thing with worm
I live in Sherman Oaks, a suburb of Los Angeles.  I’ve been noticing at least one of these egg-sack things appear in and around my house lately, usually attached to a wall a few feet up from the floor.  They are medium brown in color, look and feel like small scrap of paper, and are about one centimeter long.  Do you know what is hatching out of it?  The little worm keeps poking in and out of a hole at both ends of its “home.”
Thank you,  - Shel



Hi Shel,
You have Case-Bearing Moth larvae Phereoeca fallax. Here is some information issued by the County of Los Angeles Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures Department: Entomology Laboratory Services: "Case-bearing Moth Larva (Phereoeca fallax) this is a common species in the Los Angeles basin, specially along coastal areas. The small larvae carry a noticeable case made of fine sand and debris. The case, which is about a quarter to half an inch long, is flattened on top and bottom, expanded at its center and tapered at both ends. They are often found on walls (both outside and inside) of houses and other structures. Larvae are said to feed primarily on insect remains, fur, flannel, and hair: they do not seem to be a clothes pest. Thorough vacuuming should help control their numbers. The adult moths are very small and are rarely seen."

(06/10/2004) flat cocoon
indoors in south Florida area. Flat cocoon almost like thin paper. Grayish in color. Worm like in center. About 1"-2" in length. Found on floor in room with about 8 month old wood flloor. Now seeing in tile bath room next room.

Looks like a Case-Bearing Moth larva.

(01/11/2004) Case-Bearing Moth
Ok this one is really gross.  I live in Singapore. A couple of days ago, I looked down and saw this flattened rice krispie looking thing on my floor.  I looked closer and it was moving. A tiny little brown head looking thing came out and helped it inch along.  That head like thing could come out either end. The "casing" whatever it was looked like a whitich rice krispie. I think it was something the thing had excreted.  I think it is a worm inside but I am not sure.  Maybe it is something in its larva stage. Do you know what this sick looking thing is?
wendi in Singapore

Dear Wendy in Singapore,
There are certain moths that have a caterpillar that spins a cocoon like case that they live in.  They can drag the case around.  sounds like that is what you saw.  The family, called Casebearers, is Coleophoridae.

thank you so much. It is difficult to find pictures but I did find one that is similar of the one that eats Larch.  The one here is whiter casing but I think you are correct.  I really appreciate your reply.  
wendi m

(01/29/2004) Tinea pellionella
Hello I would be grateful if you could tell me how you can get rid of tinea pellionella. If they have turned into the larva stage or then possibly moth what spray can be used or do you need to havepest control company to deal with them urgent please reply.
Thanks
S Lacey

Hi S Lacey,
If the Case Bearing Clothes Moths have already gotten into your woolen clothing, I strongly recommend a trip to the dry cleaner, which will eliminate any larvae living in the clothing. For control of the adult moths, we do not like the smell of moth ball, and prefer other sweet smelling organic methods. Cedar is a moth repellent, and a cedar chest is a good storage area, but impractical for large quantities of clothing. Cedar blocks and cedar chips will help. We have also recently discovered a dried herbal sachet which repels the moths and keeps clothes smelling nicely. Equal parts of dried mint, dried lavendar and dried wormwood (artemesia) will keep them out of you closets. I grow the herbs in my garden and make small sachets to hang on the hangers of all my wool suits, sweaters and shirts. Since beginning that, I haven't had any moth problems. Good luck.

Thanks for that advice Daniel,
I should have said that the infestation is actually in the wool carpets of our apartment, but presumably the same treatment as prescribed for clothing will work on carpets too ?.
Thanks, Sandra

Carpets are more difficult. If they are removable, have them drycleaned. If they are permanent carpets, perhaps fumigation is the answer.

(12/25/2003) can kitchen moths eat fabrics?
Hi,
We've had a kitchen moth infestation. We thought we had them eliminated over the summer--by throwing out any open boxes of cereal, flour, spices, pasta, etc.  Now, they're back with a vengeance.  We never see them in worm form or anything but the tiny (approx. 1/4") gray-brown moths.  Today, cleaning out my cookbook shelves, I found the remains of many along the bottoms of the books.   I'll keep cleaning and discarding, but my main question is this: Can these moths attack textiles?  I have beautiful new kilim and pile rugs, and I'm worried!!!
Leslie Wile

Dear Leslie,
One always needs to worry about wool textiles and they should be stored properly, but you do not need to worry about cereal moths infesting textiles since they are different species with different food needs.

Thank you.  This is a really good service.
Leslie Wile

(12/24/2003) Tampon Infestation
Hi, Your website is awsome, and answers many questions. Anyway, I thought I would share a termite (I think a termite?) horror story. You may not be able to post it as it is a bit graphic but I think it is a great story and a very important PSA for any woman with termites in her house. Anyway, when I was about 12 or 13 I started using tampons. As any girlcan tell you, when you first start you can't do it very well. So I was in the bathroom (of our termite infested house) wrestling with this damn thing which I couldn't (THANKFULLY) get in and finally gave up. Blaming the product, I put it up to my face and popped the cotton part out of the plastic applicator to see if maybe there was something wrong with it. Well,to my horror there were maggots (my biggest fear) writhing all over the cotton, in and out of little holes they had made. I threw it across the room as I assume anyone would and then realized after the shock of maggots in my face, that I had just been trying to shove that thing in myself. After thinking about it I realized that the grubs were most likely not maggots but termite larva, we had just had a "termite night" the day before, where the adult termites fly all over the place and you have to sit around with the lights out. I do not use tampons anymore without first inspecting the cotton part THOROUGHLY. So the moral of this story is to all women, pop the cotton out of the tampon before using to make sure you are not disturbing anyone's meal.
Jade Shiroma

Dear Jade,
While your story is truly horrific, I don't believe you had termite larvae eating the cotton of the tampon. Termite young are cared for within the colony. A more likely suspect are certain moths or beetles that eat natural fibers.

That makes so much more sense. Thanks and I will continue to tell everybody about your site.  Thanks so much.

Hi Pat,
Webbing Clothes Moths (Family Tineidae) can be found wherever organic textiles are stored. They are the moths famous for destroying fine wool sweaters and suits. They will also eat cotton, but prefer wool. It is the caterpillar stage that does the damage.
There is a another moth called the Case-Bearing Clothes Moth, Tinea pellionella, that can be identified by the case it carries. The structure is an elongate flattened sac that is made of silk and is slightly splayed at the open end. The larvae carry this case about with them and eventually pupate within. They are often found is wool and silk, but they could possibly feed off of cotton products.
The Indian Meal Moth, on the other hand, is just one of several Pyralid or Pantry Moths that infest stored food products. The adults resemble small generic moths that can be found on the inside of cupboard doors as well as fluttering aroung lights in the house at night. The larval form is a small white caterpillar that infests the food products. One species, the Meal Moth, Pyralis farinalis, has larvae that build silken tubes or cases that are mixed with food debris. I once had a disgusting box of cornmeal that was totally infested. The Indian Meal Moth lives in the food source within masses of webbing.
Sorry we have no photos since our readers to send them in. Usually a description will suffice in the case of these destructive house pests.