Hapsifera luridella, Crete - photo © K. Bormpoudaki
The Family Tineidae (Clothes Moths)
The Family Tineidae
The Tineidae family (Tineid moths) is a family of moths of the Superfamily Tineoidea that contains considerably more than 3,000 species in more than 300 genera. They are particularly common in the Palaearctic, but many occur elsewhere, and others are famous introduced species. The most familiar members of the family are the clothes moths, which have adapted to feeding on stored fabrics and led to their reputation as a household pest.
Tineids are small to medium-sized moths with wingspans of 0.7-3.6 cm. They have broadly lancelike wings, a bit rounded at the tips. At rest, most species hold their wings tent-like over the body. Adults of most species have dark colors or very rough head scales, long antennae, andlong, folded maxillary palps. Some are important pests, and these are typically pale, with or without markings.
Larvae of only a very small number of species feed on living plants. Most of them are feeding on fungi, lichens, and detritus and form cases similar to those of casebearers.
The following species are representative species of the Tineidae moths that have been photographed on the island of Crete. You can obtain more information about each species, by selecting the relative species icon. The list of Tineidae species is nondefinitive.
