Friday, 2 May 2014

Bagworm Moth caterpillar

I recently found an odd creature which at first glance looked like a moving lump of bark or lichen...

After a bit of googling I have realised it's a 'Bagworm' larvae, belonging to the moth family Psychidae. These larvae are quite similar to caddis fly larvae, in that they collect tiny fragments of debris from their surrounding area and weave a protective case to cover their soft body. The one in the photos is around 11mm long, and is the first one I have ever seen, so not sure about species yet. It seems to be feeding on moss and maybe some sort of lichen in the bark, although I can't see it, so must be eating really tiny amounts of whatever it is!


Amongst the debris on it's back, there is a small exuvia from the headcase (I think!).... I think this could be used to maybe ID the specimen, but the photos aren't great... will probably be easier to see what kind of moth it turns into....





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