Keratinophagous
Guides
Ceratophaga vicinella
Gopher Tortoise Shell Moth
Ceratophaga vicinella is a highly specialized keratin-feeding moth in the family Tineidae. The larvae feed exclusively on the keratin shells of dead gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus), making this species dependent on a single host source that is currently in decline. Adults are small, dark moths with distinctive cream-colored head tufts. The species has a restricted range in the southeastern United States and appears to be declining due to threats facing its tortoise host.
Hofmannophila
brown house moth (for sole species H. pseudospretella)
Hofmannophila is a monotypic genus of concealer moths (family Oecophoridae) containing a single species, H. pseudospretella, commonly known as the brown house moth. The genus appears closely related to Borkhausenia. The sole species is a significant synanthropic pest with nearly worldwide distribution, particularly abundant in Britain.
Hofmannophila pseudospretella
Brown House Moth, Samenmotte (German)
A cosmopolitan pest moth of stored products and dwellings. Larvae feed on keratinous materials including wool, fur, and feathers, as well as dried plant matter. Adults are nocturnal and exhibit complex sexual behavior involving pheromone-mediated mate location. The species is the sole member of its genus, though its distinctness from related genera remains under study.
Monopis longella
Pavlovski's Monopis Moth
Monopis longella is a tineid moth with a broad Palearctic and Oriental distribution, now established as an introduced species in eastern North America. Its larvae construct tubular tunnels in bird nests where they feed on keratinous materials. The species is notable for a distinctive mitochondrial genome arrangement that differs from typical lepidopteran patterns.
Tinea
Tinea is a genus of fungus moths in the family Tineidae, established as one of the earliest subgroups of moths. It is the type genus of both its family and subfamily. Historically, the genus encompassed many species now placed in other genera. Species within Tinea include economically significant pests such as the casemaking clothes moth (Tinea pellionella).
Tinea carnariella
Tinea carnariella is a species of clothes moth in the family Tineidae, described by James Brackenridge Clemens in 1859. It belongs to a genus containing several economically significant pest species known for larval feeding on keratinous materials. The species has been recorded from Pennsylvania, USA, though detailed biological information appears limited in available literature.
Tineola bisselliella
webbing clothes moth, common clothes moth, clothing moth
Tineola bisselliella is a small moth in the family Tineidae, notable as a significant pest of stored wool and natural fibers. Adults are 6–7 mm in body length with a 9–16 mm wingspan, characterized by pale yellowish-ochreous forewings and a distinctive red-orange tuft of hair on the head. The species is synanthropic, now rarely found outside human dwellings. Larvae possess the unusual ability to digest keratin, enabling them to feed on wool, silk, fur, and other animal-derived materials. Adults do not feed and have atrophied mouthparts; all damage is caused by larval feeding.
Trox floridanus
hide beetle
Trox floridanus is a species of hide beetle in the family Trogidae, first described from Florida in 1957. As a member of this family, it is associated with decomposing animal remains in advanced stages of decay, feeding on dried skin, hair, feathers, and connective tissue. The species is documented from the Nearctic region, specifically Florida, USA. Hide beetles in this genus are cryptic insects that typically become coated in debris and exhibit thanatosis (death-feigning) when disturbed.