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Eighteen years ago, my wife and I bought a little “get-away” house in village overlooking the sea southern Spain. So wrapped up were we all things to fix paint that never paid much attention creamy-white, pumpkin-seed–shaped “things” dangling from ceiling walls – which any event soon disappeared whirlwind of enthusiastic vacuuming unleashed. There were, however, always more these creatures waiting greet us, usually our kitchen or bathroom, whenever visited. But never, ever, did see one outside. Years later, was surprised what looked like self-same pumpkin seeds hanging wall guest where once stayed Southeast Asia. Regrettably, cannot recall its precise location, but do seeing outside dwelling either! And it turns out wasn't alone, for entomologists who know be protective silken cases spun by larvae moths belonging genus Phereoeca, household casebearers (Figure 1) had long been asking question now spinning head: is natural habitat insects? A Phereoeca larva Cotonou, Benin. D Hobern (CC BY 2.0) When writing first notes ever published on known as uterella (P Zool Soc Lond 1897; Part I: 165–66), Lord (Thomas de Grey) Walsingham noted certain Mr Schulz informed larval “very frequent houses Pará (Brazil), keeping rooms”. He also reported Baron von Hedemann's observation they very common inner St Thomas (US Virgin Islands). The only tiny clue possible wild an Gudmann, island-living tree trunks trees, where, under conditions? Some eighty remained unanswered. In enchanting paper finding allutella Barro Colorado Island Lake Gatún, Panama (Psyche 1979; June–September: 125–36), Annette Aiello recorded both inside non-air-conditioned buildings, especially bathrooms bedrooms (the island's residents call them “bathroom moths”). However, she might live if buildings unavailable mystery. Searches other habitats, including within leaf litter trunks, proven fruitless. good idea: “Phereoeca may associated with mammals than man”, wrote, “Bat roosts should checked presence cases”. Now, you well ask Earth creatures, are tricky distinguish another, doing ceilings (which Australia Fiji, Singapore South America, tropical Africa Florida, beyond). answer, seems, looking gobble remains insects spiders’ webs, along organic odds ends, even hairs feces animals some will climb down feast upon. Carolina, praecox living Aquarium Reptile Complex at Riverbanks Zoo Garden certainly so, feed Aruba rattlesnake (Crotalus unicolor) droppings! this there lies about habitat. What places have similar abundance? Just suggested, bat caves do, over years, evidence supporting her proposal has trickled in. For example, 1986, expert GS Robinson found P main cave western Malaysia's Batu Caves complex. Then 2020 came breakthrough, Donald Mignon Davis coprophaga feeding guano Bats Sea Cave near Lucia KwaZulu-Natal, Entomol Wash 2020; 122: 577–94). “The sites remember collecting houses, etc caves, I've seen perhaps pupae floor”, kindly told me. There's likely no your house, cobwebs remains: would caves. Perhaps then, larvae, just nice clean free many predators, reasonable supply simple food better smelly bats’ roost! Interestingly, Malaysia his not smatterings pigeon guano, covered emulsion paint, type you'd use bathroom! Coincidence newly evolving domestic behavior? Whichever, those clearly heard vacuum cleaners… Adrian Burton