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12.03 BF245  – Large Pale Clothes Moth  – Tinea pallescentella  – Stainton, 1851
Adult Micro:  CAT 3 – Very rare or scarce species (includes very scarce adventives/immigrants) – confusion with leaf mines      
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Black – Uncertain/Unknown – Insufficient Data   
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Tineidae  >> Tineinae
ID Difficulty:  Red – difficult to identify – detailed examination required, often a Gen Det and/or specimen and quality photographs are required.
Confusion Species: Tinea pellionella (Case-bearing Clothes Moth); Tinea dubiella (Speckled Clothes Moth)
ID pointers: Another pale greyish-brown Tinea species with variable mottled markings and scales on forewing. Several dark blotches or streaks half way and towards the wing apex.
Distribution:  (Last record: 1962 at Ramscroft Colliery )  –  No modern day records – Most historical records come from Ramscroft Colliery between 1953-192 when many were recorded in the underground workings when the moth was found commonly. Current status unknown. This species is thought to have arrived in Britain from South America during the 19th century.
General Comment: None
Flight Period: January /  February /  March /  April /  May /  June /  July /  August /  September /  October /  November /  December –  Can be found anytime of the year Moth Activity: Cathemeral   – and is attracted to light Photographed: No –  Photographed By: Not Recorded
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 12-25mm
Food Plant: All types of keratin based natural products such as hair, wool, fur, feathers
Last Recorded Year: 1962
Last Recorded By – Not Recorded
Last Recorded General Area – Ramscroft Colliery

Selected Images:  



Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 1905 - 1993)  |  Immatures: (between 1905 - 1905)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)

Distribution Map for Tinea pallescentella

Found 5 records
    ↳ from 2026+
    ↳ from 2020 - 2025
    ↳ 5 from Before 2020
Flying
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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Bedrock Geology ** indirectly affects moth distribution by influencing the type of habitat and food plants available in an area. In turn, this may affect the types of moths that can thrive, or where they can most likely be found.


NBN Atlas UK Distribution for – Tinea pallescentella

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Note – the NBN Atlas datasets are listed in the map below and vary in their currency (uptodateness) – however, the map does give a general indication of the moth's distribution across the UK.

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Monthly Records By Year: Tinea pallescentella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Monthly Counts By Year: Tinea pallescentella
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only )

First/Last Recorded Dates: Tinea pallescentella
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]

Shading shows moth presence between dates

Click the colour discs below to Select/De-select as Required

Recordings By Year: Tinea pallescentella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Tinea pallescentella
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%
Tinea pallescentella
Insufficient records/data for an AGR analysis
Years Analysed: 2000 – 2026

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Tinea pallescentella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Tinea pallescentella

Flight Period chart – the grey hatched area above, which can cross one or more months, pictorially represents the best guess we have for this moth's flight periods [month/s]. The coloured lines represent the actual months seen in flight, from site observation records received between 2020-2026.

Records Behind the Map and Charts - Tinea pallescentella – 5 records available

Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns

Site NameTetradDateCountStageRecorderSourceRecordKey
Deerlands Rd, Ashgate, ChesterfieldSK37K24/07/19931AdultVC57 Derbyshire Recordervc57_danes_bc_dataLC000334001COQSG
Deerlands Rd, Ashgate, ChesterfieldSK37K15/06/19931AdultVC57 Derbyshire Recordervc57_danes_bc_dataLC000334001COV9J
Ramcroft Colliery, Palterton, BolsoverSK46N17/06/195360AdultVC57 Derbyshire Recordervc57_danes_bc_dataLC000334001COQ9C
Ramcroft Colliery, Palterton, BolsoverSK46N10/05/19051PupaeVC57 Derbyshire Recordervc57_danes_bc_dataLC000334001COQHB
Ramcroft Colliery, Palterton, BolsoverSK46N05/05/1905100AdultVC57 Derbyshire Recordervc57_danes_bc_dataLC000334001COQHA

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