Closet moths, more accurately called clothes moths, are small, beige or buff-colored moths about half an inch wide from wingtip to wingtip. They look nothing like the larger brown moths you see circling porch lights. Two species cause nearly all clothing damage: the webbing clothes moth and the casemaking clothes moth. Knowing what each one looks like, at every life stage, helps you catch an infestation before it ruins your favorite sweater.
What Adult Clothes Moths Look Like
The webbing clothes moth is the more common of the two species. Adults are covered in shiny golden scales with a small tuft of reddish-golden hairs on top of the head. The body is about a quarter inch long (roughly the size of a grain of rice), and the wingspan measures about half an inch. The wings are narrow with tiny hairs fringing the edges, giving them a slightly fuzzy outline.
The casemaking clothes moth looks similar at first glance, with the same buff coloring and narrow, fringed wings. The key difference: casemaking moths have small dark specks scattered across their forewings. Their wingspan ranges from 3/8 to 1/2 inch, making them roughly the same size as webbing clothes moths or slightly smaller.
Both species are weak, fluttery fliers that avoid light. If you spot a small golden moth scurrying along the floor of your closet or hiding in a dark corner rather than buzzing around a lamp, that behavior alone is a strong clue you’re dealing with a clothes moth.
How They Differ from Pantry Moths
The moth most people confuse with clothes moths is the Indianmeal moth, a common pantry pest. The distinction is easy once you know what to look for. Pantry moths are noticeably larger and have two-toned wings: the half closest to the head is pale or cream, while the outer half is a coppery reddish-brown. Clothes moths, by contrast, are uniformly buff or golden across the entire wing. Pantry moths also fly readily toward light, while clothes moths avoid it. If you find a moth near your kitchen or pantry rather than your closet, it’s almost certainly not a clothes moth.
What the Larvae Look Like
The larvae are the ones actually eating your clothes. Adults don’t feed on fabric at all. A newly hatched larva is white and tiny, about 1/16 of an inch long. As it feeds, it grows to roughly 1/3 of an inch, staying white or cream-colored with a distinctly darker brown head capsule. If you see a small, pale, caterpillar-like worm on your clothing with a dark head, you’ve found the culprit.
The two species build different structures as they feed, which makes identification easier. Webbing clothes moth larvae spin silk tubes and patches of webbing directly onto fabric. These tubes are attached to the material and typically found in dark, protected spots like seams or hems. The larvae eventually leave these tubes behind and move to new feeding locations, so you may find abandoned silk webbing even after the larvae have moved on.
Casemaking clothes moth larvae take a different approach. They build a portable silken case that they drag around like a sleeping bag, never leaving it behind. The case is cigar-shaped with openings at both ends, and the larvae feed from either end while retreating inside when disturbed. A fully grown case measures about 3/8 inch long and often incorporates bits of the fabric being eaten. One distinctive feature: the case takes on the color of whatever material the larva has been consuming. A larva feeding on a blue wool blanket will carry a bluish case.
Signs of Damage on Your Clothes
You may spot the damage before you ever see a moth. Clothes moth feeding typically shows up in hidden locations: beneath collars, inside cuffs, in the folds of stored garments, along carpet edges beneath furniture, and in the crevices of upholstered chairs. Look for irregular holes in fabric, surface grazing where fibers have been thinned but not fully eaten through, or both.
On fur garments or accessories, the damage looks different. Larvae clip hairs at the base, leaving patches of loose fur and exposed hide underneath. This can happen deep inside a stored fur coat where you wouldn’t notice without deliberately checking.
Beyond the holes, look for the physical evidence the larvae leave behind. Silken tubes and mats in the hidden portions of clothing, often with fabric fibers woven into them, are a clear sign of webbing clothes moths. The droppings are tiny pellets that match the color of the fabric being eaten, since the dyes pass through the larvae. If you find small specks on a red garment that are reddish, or dark specks on a navy sweater, that’s likely frass from feeding larvae rather than ordinary dirt.
Where to Look in Your Closet
Clothes moths thrive in dark, undisturbed spaces. The garments most at risk are ones you don’t wear regularly: seasonal coats, formal suits, stored wool blankets, or vintage clothing tucked into the back of a closet. Larvae feed on animal-based fibers like wool, silk, cashmere, and fur, though they’ll also eat blends and fabrics soiled with food, sweat, or body oils.
When inspecting, pull clothing off hangers and check the undersides of collars, the insides of cuffs, and any folds or creases. Run your hand along carpet edges near closet walls. Check upholstered furniture in dark rooms. Look for the telltale silken tubes, webbing patches, portable cases, or the tiny white larvae themselves. Adult moths tend to stay close to infested materials, so if you spot one flying near a particular shelf or drawer, that’s the area to examine most carefully.
What the Eggs Look Like
Clothes moth eggs are extremely small and difficult to spot with the naked eye. They’re oval, whitish, and typically tucked into the fibers of fabric or hidden in seams. Most people never see the eggs themselves. By the time an infestation becomes visible, you’re usually finding larvae, their silk structures, or the adult moths. If you suspect an infestation but can’t find obvious signs, gently shake garments over a white surface and look for tiny larvae, silk fragments, or colored droppings that fall free.