#bathroom moth

[swimminginlakes]

This guy has been living in our bathroom for the last week. The first day I tried to get him out but he didn’t seem to wanna go so I just left him and he looks pretty comfy 🦋

[nostalgicfun]

I Spy Spooky Mansion, 1999

[i-3at-s0ap]

BUG AHEAD!

Meet my little bathroom friend Claudia! She is a bathroom moth fly (aka Clogmia albipunctata) and she is so cute!!!!! She is a member of the Diptera order meaning she is a true fly, even though she is fuzzy like a moth. All these photos were taken by me :D

[vrgssmncht]

These are my children of procrastination, I call em Gilberts

[spatial-jump]

How I speak to insects is how Five speaks to other human beings.

[anonamouslemonbubbletea]

bathroom moths!

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Bathroom Moth Fly - Clogmia albipunctata

Insects truly are amazing creatures, aren't they. Just when one thinks that they've seen it all, nature finds another way to surprise them, such is the case with this strange specimen. At a casual glance, this individual appears to be a small tufted Moth with broad wings and feathered antennae. However, there's a problem: only one pair of wings, meaning this insect has to be a Fly, and that's exactly what it is! Yes, really! Specifically, this Fly is a member of the subfamily known as Psychodinae, or Moth Flies, naturally owing to the aforementioned resemblance. While similar in appearance, they could not be further apart with regards to certain behaviors and adaptations. Most prominently, the larvae of Psychodinae are prominent in sewage systems and bathroom drains rather than verdant fields. There they feed on developing algae and bacteria within plumbing muck and pipes. It may be dirty work, but it's very useful for urban environments as they can act as natural purifiers. This is an offshoot of their role within the natural environment whereby they act as detritivores by streams, ponds and other moist, decay-filled environments such as within leaf litter.

From my own research, they're hardly pests given their muck-feeding, but their presence may be unpleasant. Many of them may indicate there is uncleanliness afoot (similar to the Common Silverfish, another misunderstood bathroom resident). If you find a similar insect in your bathroom, take it as a sign that clean up may be needed. After a fill of filth, the larvae pupate within the same filth, emerging after some time as a tuft-haired specimen like the one seen here. When they take to the air, they can begin feeding on sources of nectar, but some may continue to feed near their water source. It sounds strange, but lest we forget that some Butterflies obtain valuable nutrients by sipping them from mud. Speaking of, even as I write I'm very amazed by how close the resemblance of this specie is to a small, compact Moth, down to the plumage on the thorax and the positioning of the eyes. Many Moth Fly specimens look similar to each other, but it seems that this specie is easy to identify as long as the following characteristics are met. There should be 2 spots visible in the middle of each wing, the antennae and Fly's leg segments should be white, and there must be white spots around the edge of the wings. That's a match here!

Pictures were taken on August 21, 2024 in Hamilton with a Google Pixel 4. I did wash my hands after handling this specimen...after research began.

[gramarye]

cleaning my 2-3 years of accumulated adhd mess is literally just grinding my teeth cleaning and repeating "THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH" while blasting music and watching hoarder cleaning videos in the bg

[onenicebugperday]

@superbiaa submitted: Can I ask for an id on this little moth?(southern California/LA area) They appear sometimes in my bathroom but it wasn't until I took these pictures that I actually saw all the little details on this guy!

Yeah! It's not a moth! It's a drain fly, but they are also called moth flies since they do kinda look like little moths. They breed in standing water (like that found in drains!), so that's why they show up in bathrooms.

[dragonboything]

IM JUST MICHAEL WHO YOU DONT KNOW MICHAEL FLYIN SOOLOOO

[bugging-robot]

Gorgeous moth found!!!

Edit: @bettsplendens identified this as a giant leopard moth, thank you!

[i-3at-s0ap]

Nothing is worse than going into the tag for an insect you like and one of the top posts is talking about how fun they are to kill

[fluffyfairyzz]

i hate this school dawg ( / nsrs ) WHYT ARE THERRE ORBIES ALL OVER THE BATHROOM

WHO DID THIS

[cassiecreateschaos]

Most dark academia thing? Debating Virginia Woolf’s “Death of a Moth” in the bathroom of a 1920’s costume party

[persnicketypansy]

there is a moth in the bathroom

my shoulder hurts in the rain

nothing ever seems to get better

but i’m good at forgetting the pain

there is a moth in the bathroom

my face in the mirror looks pale

this time last year i had no friends

yesterday i got a letter in the mail

the door handle used to be shiny

funny how beautiful things dull

always when you’re not looking

the same way i watch my hair grow

im good at forgetting time passes

not good at letting go

you were always scared of moths

there’s one in the bathroom

just so you know

[bookoflovingghosts]