Moths threaten fabric of England's most historic properties

English Heritage asks public to help map spread and intensity of pale-backed clothes moth, a particularly destructive species

Clothes-devouring moths infesting the wardrobes and drawers of many homes in the UK are now threatening precious curtains and carpets, costumes and tapestries in some of England's most historic properties. Conservators are reporting that the number caught in traps has doubled in the last five years.

A particularly destructive species, Monopis sp., also known as the pale-backed clothes moth, has recently been discovered for the first time by English Heritage, which is now enlisting the help of the public to map the spread and intensity of a menace that only a few decades ago seemed as relevant a historical plague as the Black Death. Anyone with a precious cashmere sweater now resembling a piece of lace will sympathise.