In their primal phase, moths possess chewing organs that they use to chew just about anything in their proximity. This includes hair, fur, furniture, paper dust, and materials composed of oil and wool. Unfortunately, moths have acquired a nefarious reputation for ripping holes in our beloved sweaters. Apart from that, adult moths resting on textiles are highly misunderstood creatures; they are not eating your favorite winter wrap. Blame the moth’s larvae, also called caterpillars. In fact, some species of adult moths lack the apparatus to chew food at all – they have no mouthparts to feed on anything. The diet of the larvae is not limited to just plants or nectar, which are the foods with which they are most often associated. Larval moths are known to be ravenous feeders. In their primal phase, they possess chewing organs with which they chew pretty much everything in their vicinity, including paper dust, hair, fur, furniture, and materials near oil and wool. The contempt we feel for adults is misdirected because it is actually baby moth – the caterpillars—which are gluttonous eaters. Moths are often referred to as textile pests, but it is not the moths that eat clothes but the larvae or caterpillars. Besides the usual plants and leaves, larvae are very fond of fibres in the clothing. Two species, the case-making clothes moth (Tinea pellionella) and the webbing clothes moth (Tineola biselliell) are famous fabric eaters. Both species are known to eat natural cloth fibres found in clothes, curtains, carpets, bedsheets, and upholstery. They can devour wool, cotton, silk, cashmere, and lint. The chewing apparatus is transformed into a tube-like apparatus called a proboscis. Like butterflies, this tube provides a moth with a fluid-pumping mechanism to suck on a flower’s nectar, which then flows into its digestive tract and is excreted through its **anus**. Adult moths need this nectar fluid to power their wings. In addition to nectar, moths also suck honeydew, juices from decaying fruits, tree sap, manure liquids, animal droppings, or faeces. Adult moths generally tend to eat foods rich in sodium or minerals that enhance their virility; they are consumed to gain energy for reproductive purposes through such a diet. This is why moths often land on people’s shoulders in the park to lick sodium-rich sweat. ---press M to subscribe to 'MothFacts'.