About the Brown House Moth
Hofmannophila is a genus of moths in the concealer moth family Oecophoridae. It is monotypic, with the single species Hofmannophila pseudospretella, the brown house moth, which appears to be closely related to species of the genus Borkhausenia.
The egg is elliptical with parallel longitudinal grooves joined by fine transverse lines. The colour ranges from shining white to yellow. Larvae have a brown head with a translucent dull white body and pale yellowish-brown legs. Because of the translucency of the body, it may change colour depending on gut content, in turn dependent on the colour of the fabrics ingested.
The pupa is yellowish brown and composed of strongly hooked setae on terminal abdominal body segments. Mature individuals have pale ochre forewings interspersed with blackish brown patches. Each wing has a prominent discal spot and smaller blackish brown cellular spots. The hindwing is brownish grey, while the head, thorax, and abdomen dark grey-brown. Antennae are simple and threadlike. Wing span is 15 – 26 mm.
This species was introduced from Asia to Europe and other continents in... Wikipedia →