From Doug Yanega Re: clothes moth paranoia

[Doug Yanega]

Could you please forward this to Leps-L for me? My server no longer
recognizes leps-l, either. I can receive but not send messages. In fact,
post this header, as well, so people on leps-l know that I can no longer
respond publicly to the list.

Pierre Plauzoles wrote:

>In a previous article, lday at iquest.net (Liz Day) says:
>
>>My experience has been that whenever you mention moths, people immediately
>>want to know if their clothes will be eaten.  They think most moths eat
>>clothes.
>
>You are right.  This is indeed a sad commentary on the state of affairs on
>the scholastic side of this country's scientific establishment - and
>perhaps Pierre Zagatti, Doug Yanega or someone else can correct me on this
>(I would not at all be surprised to see them confirm it), but I think
>most of the world is in the same boat or one awfully similar to it.

Actually, here in Brazil, people do not seem to expect moths to eat
clothes, but what they DO think is that all hairy caterpillars cannot be
touched. Given that a few people die almost every year in Brazil from
contact with Lonomia larvae, it's an understandable thing for them to be
ultra-cautious about anything that even MIGHT be dangerous. Some students
here have nearly had heart attacks when I dropped a live Arctiid larva into
their hands. Naturally, I consider this a better myth to have perpetuated
than the "All moths eat clothes" myth. The oddest thing about the latter is
how *few* people ever have their clothes eaten any more, since the advent
of artificial fibers. I think I have seen ONE genuine clothes moth in my
life...yet the myth refuses to die.

Peace,