Monopis crocicapitella

Monopis crocicapitella
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Tineidae
Genus: Monopis
Species:
M. crocicapitella
Binomial name
Monopis crocicapitella
(Clemens, 1859)
Synonyms
  • Tinea crocicapitella Clemens, 1859
  • Tinea amandatella Walker, 1863
  • Monopis cecconii Turati, 1919
  • Monopis dobrogica Georgesco, 1964
  • Blabophanes heringi Richardson, 1893
  • Tinea hyalinella Staudinger, 1870
  • Blabophanes lombardica Hering, 1889
  • Amydria prometopias Gyen, 1913
  • Blabophanes ptilophaga Enderlein, 1909

Monopis crocicapitella, the pale-backed clothes moth, or the bird-nest moth, is a moth of the family Tineidae described by James Brackenridge Clemens in 1859.[1] It has a nearly cosmopolitan distribution. It was first described from the eastern United States.

The wingspan is 10–16 mm.[2]

In western Europe, adults are on wing from June to October.[3]

This species can easily be mistaken for Monopis obviella due to almost indistinguishable markings.[3]

The capability of this species to infest human dwellings is unknown.[4] Larvae of this species were found to not survive at 51% relative humidity, thriving at 93% relative humidity.[5]

Male genitalia of Monopis crocicapitella. See the image description for characters separating M. crocicapitella from Monopis obviella.
  1. ^ "Monopis crocicapitella (Pale-backed Clothes Moth) - Norfolk Micro Moths - The micro moths of Norfolk". Norfolk Moths. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  2. ^ Reinhard Gaedike, 2019 Tineidae II : Myrmecozelinae, Perissomasticinae, Tineinae, Hieroxestinae, Teichobiinae and Stathmopolitinae Microlepidoptera of Europe, vol. 9. Leiden : Brill
  3. ^ a b "Monopis crocicapitella | UKmoths". www.ukmoths.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  4. ^ "Understanding Clothes Moth Infestations". English Heritage.
  5. ^ Gerard, P.J. (1995). "An infestation of Monopis crocicapitella Clemens (Lepidoptera: Tineidae) in wool carpet". New Zealand Entomologist. 18 (1): 55–61. doi:10.1080/00779962.1995.9722006 – via Taylor & Francis Online.