Male Evergreen Bagworm Moth
(09/21/2007) Wow, you nailed it!
I saw this weird moth on my garage so I captured it: Went
to your site and found it without even looking: Large Tolype
I scanned down a bit and found this one too: Chickweed Moth
But I wouldn't even know where to start with this one:
hank
Hi Hank,
We are happy to hear you find our site user friendly and helpful.
No matter how hard you tried, you would not have located your
Male
Evergreen Bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis, on our
site since your photo is the first adult photo we have received.
We have a Bagworm page since we get so many requests to identify
the caterpillars and cocoons. Only male Bagworm moths are
winged. Females never leave the cocoon and mating occurs when
the winged male locates a female ready to mate. She then lays
her eggs in the bag and dies. Thanks for your wonderful addition
to our archives.
Bagworm parks on handicapped sign
(09/03/2007) Interesting photo (and location) of a bag worm
Hi Bugman,
Thanks to your site, my brother & I are able to identify
the insect in the attached photo! We found this bag
worm outside of a Walgreens, attached to the "Handi-capped"
parking sign. I am amazed that it made it all the way
up to the top of the sign without being destroyed by someone!
Plus, not sure how it got it in the middle of a parking lot?
Best,
Stacey Gee
Poughkeepsie, NY
Hi Stacey,
While the adult male moths of bagworms have wings, the females
are legless and wingless and remain in the bag their entire
life, laying eggs there after attracting a mate with pheromones.
If a female bagworm caterpillar chose that site for its cocoon
location, it will surely guarantee her progeny will not survive
as they will be too far from a food plant. If a male moth
emerges, he will be able to fly away. This whole scenario
gives one pause to think.
Bagworm
(08/28/2007) a little caterpillar with a traveling cocoon
Hi,
I'm hoping you can identify this little fellow. He's
been hanging around (literally) ,and under my blue ceramic
bird bath. At first I thought he was building a cocoon,
but he keeps crawling all over the place with it . Let
me know, please, if you can identify him. His cocoon
seems to be about 3" long. I live in Parma, Ohio (a suburb
of Cleveland). Thank you.
Mary Griffin
Hi Mary,
This caterpillar is a Bagworm. Bagworms are Moths in the family
Psychidae. According to BugGuide:
"Larvae (bagworms) construct spindle-shaped bags covered with
pieces of twigs, leaves, etc., and remain in them, enlarging
them as they grow, till they pupate (also in the bag). Adult
females remain in the bag, emitting pheromones which attract
adult males to mate with them."
Bagworm
(04/26/2007) bag worm
Hi bug man
We have identified this as a bag worm ( Thanks to your great
site!) It has been hanging on our outside light fixture for
about 6 months-it is starting to emerge from the bottom--what
can you tell us about this and what will it do? Thanks,
Interested in bugs in Florida
Dear Interested,
If this is a female, and it does look to be a female, she
will remain legless and wingless. She will emerge just far
enough to mate with the winged male when he is attracted to
her pheromones. She will then crawl back into her bag, lay
eggs and die. Young caterpillars will hatch, disperse and
form their own bags. If a male emerges, he will fly until
he is attracted to a female.
Bagworm
from South Africa
(04/12/2007) Hi,
My dad just sent me this photo, he lives is Johannburg, south
africa. We have never seen anything like it. Could it be the
bagworm?
Thank you
Tracey
Hi Tracey,
We agree that this is a Bagworm.
Bagworm
(01/17/2007) Yet more nature via Christmas trees
Hi Bugman!
Your site is AWESOME! We use it for reference a lot. We sent
a photo of one of two cocoons (?) found on our Christmas tree
near the crown. We have both in a pyrex dish with plastic
wrap punched full of holes on top. Any suggestions?
Bill
Hi Bill,
This is a Bagworm, a type of moth. Females are wingless and
legless and do not leave the bag. The males will fly to her.
We have an entire Bagworm page on our site.
Tiger
Beetle and Bagworm from Japan
(12/09/2006)
Hi
I am an American in Japan and thought you'd be interested
in seeing what the tiger beetles here look like. They're called
hanmyou here.
 
I also included photos of a bagworm called a minomushi which
means "straw raincoat". They are a favorite of children
here.
Melody McFarland
Yokosuka, Japan
Hi Melody,
Thank you for sending us your wonderful images as well as
the language lesson. The jaws on that Hanmyou Tiger Beetle
are quite formidable.
Bagworm
(08/26/2006) Bug Id
Hi,
I found this guy on a tree in my yard yesterday in northern
New Jersey. Can you tell me anything about it? Thanks! Love
your site!
Debie
Hi Debie,
This is the first time we've gotten a good image of the caterpillar
that lives in a "bag" known as a Bagworm.
Bagworm
(04/13/2006) Help identify a cocoon/chrysalis
I'm hoping it's possible to identify chrysalis. I've searched
high and low for a guide and can't find one. I also searched
your website for caterpillar's and moths and found that you
do identify some chrysalis in addition to the insects. But
I didn't find any that matched this form. Location: I came
across this one in Surry County, North Carolina attached to
a sycamore sapling in the floodplain of a creek. Surry County
is in the northwest piedmont/foothills region on the border
of Virginia.
Julie
Hi Julie,
This is a type of moth known as a Bagworm. We should probably
include a link from our moth and caterpillar pages to our
bagworm page.
Bagworm
(02/23/2006) cocoon
Hi. I just came across this cocoon hanging from a dead blackberry
bush I think. It is about 1 1/4 inches long. The webbing is
covered by tiny sticks. Can you tell me what species it belongs
to? Thanks,
Marcelle G.
Bayou Segnette State Park
Interpretive Park Ranger
Hi Marcelle,
As an Interpretive Ranger, we are giving your letter a high
priority as it is very important to be able to inform the
visiting public. This is a type of moth known as a Bagworm.
Your photo is stunningly dramatic.
Bagworm from India
(12/18/2005) Please tell me wtb
Dear sirs
I am Ibrahim from Kerala, India. I would like to know full
details on this bag moth larvae (as I presume) which saw on
the way side plant urena lobate. Please help me
Regards
Ibrahim
Hi Ibrahim,
We cannot tell you a species or even a genus as we are not
that savvy with Asian insects. We do agree is is the larval
form of one of the Bagworm moths.
Bagworm
(11/08/2005) What is in this cocoon?
I'm in Silver Spring, Maryland and took this cocoon off a
tree. Can you tell me what it might be?
Thanks,
Walt
Hi Walt,
Sorry for the delay. This is a Bagworm, a type of moth.
Oiketicus Bagworm
(10/10/2005) stick cocoon
Hi!
I found this cocoon on my rose bush in west central Florida
on Sept. 17, 2005. I'd never seen one like it before, and
being a 4th grade teacher, took it in for my class to see.
No one at school seems to know what it is, nor have they ever
seen one before. I keep putting fresh rose leaves in the container
with a bit of water and the catepillar ventures out occasionally
to feed. Attaching a photo. Any idea what it is?
Elane Rogers
Hi Elane,
We were pretty sure this was a Bagworm, but didn't recognize
it. Now we believe it is in the genus Oiketicus. Thank you
for the great photo.
Bagworm
(09/29/2005) Dear Bug man,
Hello my name is Justin Holohan. I teach 2nd grade at West
Amwell School. One of my students brought in this cocoon thing
as asked me what it is. I TEACH MATH AND READING NOT INSECTS!!!
So hopefully you can help! They found it on their house and
it looks as if something has nested inside the branch. (It
looks like a juniper branch) I also saw something very similar
in central Jersey. But they were attached to a
pine tree. We live in the wooded area outside of the city
of Lambertville. Which is just 20 minutes north
of Trenton NJ. Thanks for any help you can provide!!
Justin Holohan
West Amwell School
Lambertville NJ
Hi Justin,
In the interest of education, we are pleased to help. This
is a Bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis. This is a moth.
The caterpillars form the bags as a camoflauge and protection
and never leave the bags, dragging them along as they eat.
They are fond of juniper, arborvitae, other conifers and some
deciduous trees. The caterpillars also pupate in the bags.
You have a pupa. The bags are sometimes found in such numbers
they appear on branches all over the trees. The pupa are often
found on the siding of homes. The female moth is flightless,
wingless and legless but manages to leave the bag when she
emerges. Males will mate with her and she crawls back into
the bag to lay her eggs. We have an entire page devoted to
this insect and you can show your student the response by
visiting our site where it is prominently featured on the
homepage.
Bagworm
(05/09/2005) Hello -
Came upon your web site trying to locate some information
on a cocoon we have hanging in one of our trees. I am
sending this picture showing this odd looking form with the
hopes you may have some kind of an answer for us. We
are hoping that some sort of nice butterfly will emerge,
and not some sort of destructive bug. We are located
in North Carolina, where we have an array of strange things.
Don't know if this would help, but it is located in a Maple
Tree. Any help you could give us would be appreciated.
Thank you for your assistance.
Gerri Francisco
Hi Gerri
You have Bagworms, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis, an unnattractive
moth that forms the cocoon you pictured while still a caterpillar.
It drags around this protective housing while feeding, eventually
pupating inside. The males are winged and females winglessand
legless. The appendageless female never lays her eggs inside
the bag after mating. They are pests.
Bagworms
(11/16/2004) Strange Cocoons
Hi, Bugman,
We have two unusual cocoons around our house in central Florida.
They are dark, spikey, and about 2 or 3 inches in length.
What kind of critter can we expect to emerge from them?
Thanks,
Curious
Hi Curious,
You have a type of Bagworm, probably Thyridopteryx sphemeraeformis.
This is a type of moth that often infests conifers like arborvitae.
The caterpillars form the protective bag and never leaves
it. It then pupates in the bag. The female is flightless and
remains in the bag after emerging, and the male which has
wings searches her out to mate.
Bagworms(9/11/2003)
My daughter found these cocoon like pods next door to my house.
There where many pods (15 in all) around the pine tree and
on the pine tree that looked very natural. I'm unable to tell
her what they are. Can you please help in identifying the
ponds.
Brooklyn N.Y.
Michael Caputo & Kids
Dear Michael,
You have Bagworms, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis. They are
common but rarely become serious pests. According to The
Golden Guide Insect book, "their history is strange.
The wingless and legless female, after mating, crawls back
into her 'bag' and lays hundreds of yellow eggs, which hatch
in spring. The young larvae feed on leaves of many kinds
of trees, building their conical bags as they feed. Later
they bind their bags to twigs (or in your case the brick
wall) and pupate. The male emerges, seeks the female, and
mates." We have a Bagworm page with additional information.
Dear What's That Bug,
My girlfriend and I are stumped
on identifying a bug, or more accurately, a cocoon that has
latched on to the outside of her home in central Texas. 3
weeks ago this creature was partially out of its shell, and
dragging this strange looking cocoon along with him. He then
preceded to pull himself up a brick wall, and has been there
without sign of life for 3 weeks now.
Can you help identify this strange looking creature?
Thanks,
Chris
Dear Mister Chris,
I appologize for the delay in
your answer, but the photo was lost in the bowels of American
Homebody while America's Sweetheart was in Miami. I just received
the image. You have a bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis.
The exact composition of the bag is dependant upon the host
plant which can be any number of deciduous trees as well as
the preferred coniferous trees. Juniper is a particular favorite.
I have located some information on www.ianr.unl.edu for you.
Bagworms feed on shade, orchard, and forest trees of nearly
every kind, as well as many ornamental shrubs and perennials.
Severe attacks are unusual. Since deciduous plants grow new
leaves, damage to them is usually not serious. The growth
of small or newly planted trees, however, could be slowed
by leaf feeding. Newly hatched larvae begin to spin silken
bags around themselves shortly after hatching. The first evidence
of infestation is the presence of 1/4 inch bags which are
carried almost on end by the young caterpillars inside. As
larvae grow, leaf fragments are added to the bag, which may
reach a length of 2 inches by the end of summer. The adult
female moth is wingless and never leaves the bag. Adult males
are small, grey moths with clear wings. Bagworms overwinter
in the egg stage inside female bags fastened to twigs. Eggs
hatch in late May and early June, and larvae feed until late
August or early September. Males emerge in September and mate
with females through the bag entrance. You can also check
out this website www.ag.auburn.edu
which has some great photos of the bagworm. |
