From Doug Yanega Re: clothes moth paranoia

[P. Stadel Nielsen]

dyanega at mono.icb.ufmg.br (Doug Yanega) wrote:

...

>>>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.

Here in Denmark, "moths eating clothing" is also history, however in
Copenhagen the "problem" is increasing due to humid and closed houses
with little ventilation (save energy!). But he clothes moths is still
considered quite rare, and many microlep collectors have never found
them.

One of my friends however, has serious problems with this species.
They are living in his lep collection !! Imagine, a rare species
feeding on dead specimens in your own collection!

Among average Danish people knowing nothing about moths, such beasts
are simply something you smack against the wall. People don't like
such ugly creatures (and they have hairs!!) but love the pretty
colourfull butterflies. Often we are met with the words "how can you
kill those pretty butterflies, you should better kill those nasty
moths coming in through the window at night". 

>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.

Also here in Europe it is generally not clever to handle hairy
caterpillars unless you know which species it is. Several are
dangerous as f.i. Thaumetopoea species (procession moths).

Per Stadel Nielsen
<fdki_ at post2.tele.dk> (omit _)
Skovskellet 35 A
DK - 2840 Holte
Denmark

http://home2.inet.tele.dk/fdki
--------
"All butterflies must have happy homes"
(L.G. Higgins)
Per Stadel Nielsen
<fdki at post2.tele.dk>
Skovskellet 35 A
DK - 2840 Holte
Denmark

http://home2.inet.tele.dk/fdki
--------
"All butterflies must have happy homes"
(L.G. Higgins)