Some bugs make surprisingly good roommates. For example, many species of spiders can work as pest control while keeping to themselves. However, other insects are venomous or enjoy invading food supplies, beds, and house foundations. Phereoeca uterella is a type of moth that lives in tropical climates and eats a wide diet, including household items like wool and silk. As the summer heat rises, keep an eye out for these creatures, known as kamitetep in Javanese, and learn how to defend your home from them.
Plaster bagworms and household casebearers
Kamitetep is at the forefront of etymological confusion. The moth species is in the family Tineidae, and is known officially as Phereoeca uterella. But they are commonly known as plaster bagworms and household casebearers. However, some experts claim that household casebearers are actually “Phereoeca allutella,” a completely different moth family from plaster bagworms. No matter the opinion, no one wants to find these moths setting up shop in their living space.
