-It is generally accepted that the natural habitats of most pest insects can be found outside the synanthropic environment in layers of leaf litter, under bark, as well as in rodent or bird nests. Indeed, most of the common pests have been reported as being facultative nidicolous. Therefore infestation of commodities by pest insects out of these reservoirs is one considerable possibility. However, the likelihood of a pest´s occurrence and survival out-doors largely depends on its ecological potential and competitiveness against other species of the same ecological guild. Some pest species are rarely found in wild habitats, especially in those regions where they are not native and where they have been introduced by man. The fabric pest Tineola bisselliella serves as a good example. Most likely originating in Central or Southern Africa this insect was introduced into Europe probably not earlier than the late 18 th century. Being more tolerant to dry environments than other fabric pests its economical importance increased during the 20 th century when in-door climates changed because of central heating systems. Its occurrence in out-door natural habitats must be regarded as accidental. Reported founds of webbing clothes moth larvae in bird nests e.g. have been largely overstated in the literature. T. bisselliella should be regarded as an eusynanthropic species.Key words: evolution, pest insect, phylogeny, synanthropy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MORPHOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGYThe adult webbing clothes moth is a small moth that ranges in size from 4 to 9 mm and weighs up to 16 mg (Kemper, 1935;Hannemann, 1977;Becker, 1983). The head and the rest of the body are covered with long hair. The rusty yellow head hairs point towards the front. The eyes are black. The mouth parts are reduced, the mandibles are rudimentary, the maxillary palps are very short or missing, and only the labial palps are apparent and well developed (Fig. 1). The wings are lanceolate and are fringed at their ends and rear edges. The forewings are yellowish, and the hind wings are grayishyellow. There are no striking markings on the wings. The wingspan ranges between 12 to 16 mm. In flight, the hind wings are interlinked through a setaceous frenulum to the retinaculum of the forewings. The male moths are generally smaller than the female moths and have a few small tufts of hair on the last three abdominal segments.
Adapted and effective pest management strategies for the protection of irreplaceable culture heritage as well as for the prevention of damages in households and warehouses are based on reliable information about the presence and distribution of the pest organisms. Monitoring the webbing clothes moth <em>Tineola bisselliella </em>at thirteen outdoor stations in the broader area of Berlin give a first idea of their occurrence in an urban area and the hinterlands. The results demonstrate a seasonal abundance in the city and a missing of this species in the countryside. Data suggest a synanthropic occurrence of the webbing clothes moth rather than an invasion from natural reservoires. Possible molecular examinations on the species and subspecies level are presented to analyze the gene flow between populations and give an impression of species mobility as well as pathways of infestation.
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