Cork Moth vs Large Case Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cork Moth Large Case Moth
Scientific Name Nemapogon cloacella Metura elongatus
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Tineidae Psychidae
Size 10-16 mm wingspan Case up to 15 cm long; male moth 2-3 cm wingspan
Habitat Gardens Woodlands
Diet Fungus Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe, Asia, introduced to North America Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cork Moth

A small mottled brown and cream moth that naturally breeds in bracket fungi on trees. It occasionally becomes a pest in wine cellars by boring into corks.

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Did You Know?

Wine collectors dread this moth because its larvae can bore through corks and ruin entire cellars of fine wine.

Large Case Moth

A bagworm moth whose larva builds a distinctive silk case covered in sticks and leaves. The wingless female never leaves her case, while males are small dark moths.

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Did You Know?

The wingless, legless adult female lives and dies inside her larval case after mating.