Insect · GBIF taxon 1836899
Brown House Moth
Hofmannophila pseudospretellaAlso known as False Clothes Moth
Brown house moths thrive alongside human habitation, where their larvae feed on an astonishing variety of dry organic material including bookbindings, carpet fibers, dried grains, and bird nests. Unlike many moths that take flight readily, adults often scurry rapidly across walls and floors to seek dark crevices when disturbed. High relative humidity accelerates their developmental cycle, allowing populations to persist year-round inside heated homes and warehouses.
NocturnalHouseholdDecomposer
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Dried grains and cereals
- Wool and animal fibers
- Dead insect remains
Predators
- Jumping spiders
- Cellar spiders
- Parasitoid wasps
ThreatsPest control measures, low indoor humidity, and modern airtight food packaging
HabitatsHomes, grain mills, warehouses, outbuildings, and natural bird or mammal nests
Life spanAdults live 2–4 weeks; entire life cycle spans 3–12 months
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderLepidoptera
- FamilyOecophoridae
- GenusHofmannophila
- SpeciesHofmannophila pseudospretella
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Harmless to humans and pets, though larvae can damage stored food and natural fabrics.
Responsible observation
- Identification: Look for dark bronze-brown forewings flecked with darker brown-black spots.
- Storage monitoring: Store susceptible dry grains and wool fabrics in airtight bins to deter larvae.
- Detection: Watch for rapid running along baseboards in dark pantries rather than sustained flight.
Competitor no rights reserved, uploaded by Liubov Ilminska · cc0
Competitor (c) carnifex, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by carnifex · cc-by
Same Family (c) Possums' End, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Possums' End · cc-by
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Found in Collections
Species set
Moonlight Marvels
Brown House Moth is found in this collection. Identify it in Fauna to fill this slot and continue your progress.
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