Unidentified moths!

[lisacat]

Hello, I have seen a few moths in the cupboard under the stairs recently, and one even ventured outside. I got alarmed thinking they were clothes moths as apparently they dislike the 'light' so i searched 'em up on google but they look nothing like the clothes moths. The ones I see are quite small and look lifeless, about a dark browny colour with a yellow stripe on it's back. If it helps, in the cupboard I keep old bags, dvds, c.ds, and barley straw for my rabbit. Any indication as to what they are would be great, I'm doing my nut as i keep getting infestations of carpet and biscuit beetle but now it seems to be moths!

thankyou.

[xSarahx]

it would help if you could post a picture

[lisacat]

I don't have a good camera at the moment, but i will give some descriptions:

I managed to get a close-up look at one of the moths today, it was fluttering about near the light in my upstairs hallway and it looked as though it had a white head and then brown markings on it's body. I also saw a caterpillar type thing near the cupboard under the stairs, it was orangey brown. I am very worried as my rabbit's cage is right near the cupboard so do you think these moths will lay their eggs in her cage and do any damage? eeek. i'm very nervous.

[aeshna5]

Have a look at images of Indian Meal Moth- they can be a pest of food stuffs + some years back I had an infestation from some contaminated peanuts for the birds + they get everywhere getting into packets of food.

Your initial description vaguely fits this species.

[pete76]

White-shouldered House-moth?

[lisacat]

I'm thinking maybe I have both types then? ooh no. What sort of damage can the white shouldered house moth do? I don't know why we would have an infestation of the indian meal moth because we don't have any signs of them in our kitchen, it's just the cupboard under the stairs which has recently been attacked by small moths!

[Miss Caretaker]

The white-shouldered House moth won't do any damage.

[lisacat]

Ok, thankyou. How about the Indian meal moth? Do you think it will attack my rabbit's food? I know it attacks grains, and my rabbit has straw and hay bedding...but i haven't actually seen any moths on her or in her cage yet, just near to it...

[Miss Caretaker]

Indian Meal moths won't hurt your bunny or live in the hay or straw, their larvae eat grain, possibly in your rabbit's food so if that's what they are then that could be where they are living. Without a photo it's just guesswork though. Could you catch one in a clear pot and maybe upload a drawing of it? The wing shape and position of any markings could help to identify it.
Jo

[lisacat]

Thank-you for your help! I will try to do ASAP, haven't seen one today but if i do i will definitely try to capture it.