Insect Pests Found in Historic Houses

Moths
Webbing clothes moth
Case-bearing clothes moth
Indian meal moth
Brown house moth
White-shouldered
house moth
Tineola bisselliella
Tinea pellionella
Plodia interpunctella
Hofmannophila pseudospretella
Endrosis sarcitrella
Larvae eat wool, fur, feathers, silk and skins.
Larvae eat wool, fur, feathers, silk and skins.
Larvae eat dried food such as
cereals and nuts.
Larvae sometimes attack damp
wool, fur, feathers and skins.
Larvae sometimes attack damp
wool, fur, feathers and skins.
Silverfish
Common booklouse
Woodlice
Lepisma saccharina
Liposcelis bostrychophila
Isopoda
Nymphs and adults eat the surface
of damp paper, books and textiles.
Nymphs and adults eat the
surface of damp paper and books.
They only attack rotting wood
and vegetation.
Insect Pests found in Historic
Houses and Museums
Many insects are found in buildings
and it is important to distinguish
between those which are not pests
and those that cause damage to
objects or the building structure.
The illustrations are magnified and
are much larger than life. The white
symbol on each picture shows the
actual body size of the insects.
A selection of the insects most
commonly found in museums
and historic houses in the UK
are shown on this poster. Most
damage is caused by immature
insects, either nymphs (silverfish,
booklice and woodlice) or larvae
(beetles and moths).
For further information on
insect identification and
Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) go to
www.collectionslink.org.uk
Other pests
Pest beetles
Death watch beetle
Non-pest beetles
Wood weevils
Brown carpet beetle or Vodka beetle
Two-spot carpet beetle Larder beetle
Cigarette beetle
Mealworm beetle
Black ground beetles
Attagenus smirnovi
Attagenus pellio
Dermestes lardarius
Lasioderma serricorne
Tenebrio molitor
Carabidae
Larvae eat wool, fur, feathers, silk and skins.
Larvae eat dried food, plant
material and freeze-dried animals.
Larvae live in bird nests and
old cereals.
Mainly predators, invading
from outside.
Varied carpet beetle
Harlequin ladybird
Fungus beetles and
plaster beetles
Anthrenus sarnicus
Anthrenus verbasci
Harmonia axyridis
Mycetophagidae & Lathridiidae
Larvae eat wool, fur, feathers, silk and skins.
Larvae eat wool, fur, feathers, silk and skins.
Invade to hibernate indoors
over winter.
Larvae eat mould and are
indicators of damp conditions.
Xestobium rufovillosum
Pentarthrum huttoni
and Euophryum confine
Larvae attack oak hardwood
which has been damp.
Larvae only attack really
damp wood.
Furniture beetle/
woodworm
Biscuit beetle
or drugstore beetle
Australian spider
beetle
Golden spider
beetle
Guernsey carpet beetle
Anobium punctatum
Stegobium paniceum
Ptinus tectus
Niptus hololeucus
Larvae attack sapwood of many
hardwoods such as oak and ash.
Larvae eat dried food, plant
material and freeze dried animals.
Larvae eat dried food and
plant material.
Larvae eat dried food and
plant material.
Larvae eat wool, fur, feathers, silk and skins.