''Erechthias minuscula'', the erechthias clothes moth, is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

of the family Tineidae. It was first described by Lord Walsingham in 1897. It is widespread and has been recorded from Africa,

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, the Caroline Islands,

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

, the Marquesas, the

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Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

and

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

Description

The length of the forewings is 3.5–4 mm.Davis, D.R.; Mendel, H. 2013: The genus ''Erechthias'' Meyrick of Ascension Island, including discovery of a new brachypterous species (Lepidoptera, Tineidae). ''ZooKeys'', 341: 1-20. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.341.6146 The ground color of the adults is mostly cream or pale straw colored. The forewings, which are strongly upturned at the tips, are variably and extensively marked with pale to dark brown scales.

Pest attack

The larvae are scavengers in dead plant materials and may be found in dead tree trunks, stems, leaves, fruits, and seed pods. Recorded plant material used as food includes '' Acacia koa'', '' Acacia koaia'', banana, ''

Calotropis ''Calotropis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1810. It is native to southern Asia and North Africa. They are commonly known as milkweeds because of the latex they produce. ''Calotropis'' ...

'', '' Cassia'', eggplant, fig, '' Lantana'', palms, ''

Pandanus ''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with some 750 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. The greatest number of species are found in Madagascar and Malaysia. Common names ...

'', papaya, pineapple, ''

Pipturus ''Pipturus'' is a flowering plant genus in the nettle family, Urticaceae. Selected species * ''Pipturus albidus'' (Hook. & Arn.) A.Gray ex H.Mann – ''Māmaki'' (Hawaii) * '' Pipturus arborescens'' ( Link) C.B.Rob., 1911 * '' Pipturus arg ...

'', ''

Sapindus oahuensis ''Sapindus oahuensis'' is a species of tree in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is limited to Kauai (Waimea Canyon) and Oahu (Waianae and Koolau Ranges). Its common names include Āulu,Little, E. L. and R. G. ...

'', ''

Sicana odorifera ''Sicana odorifera'' is a large, herbaceous perennial vine native to tropical South America, grown as an ornamental plant and for its sweet edible fruit. English names include cassabanana or casbanan, sikana, puttigel and musk cucumber. The fa ...

'' as well as old tamarind pods.

References

External links

* * * Moths described in 1897 Erechthiinae Fauna of Seychelles {{Tineidae-stub