| a clothes moth, Trichophaga tapetzella, the larvae of which infest carpets and other woolen articles. |
carpet moth
any of several small, delicate moths in the order Lepidoptera that settle with their broad, patterned carpetlike wings (span 2-4 cm; 0.8-1.6 inch) outstretched and flattened against the resting surface. The moths develop from twiglike caterpillars or loopers. Certain species damage wool, whereas others are crop pests. Some carpet moths are active by night and some by day.
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