Each female lays 40 to 50 eggs which hatch in four days to three weeks. The newly-emerged larvae begin to feed immediately. They often spin silken tunnels or mats, incorporating fragments of the textile being infested and bits of feces into its construction. The larvae molt five to 45 times, depending on conditions, taking from 35 days to two years to finish development. They eventually spin a silken cocoon in which they pupate.
Adults live for approximately two weeks.
Webbing clothes moth larvae feed on clothes, carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, felt, animal hair, and stored wool. They especially like to feed on soiled materials. Adults have nonfunctional mouthparts and do not feed. These moths are the most common clothes moth found in the United States. Adult webbing clothes moths are seldom seen because they void light.