![]() ![]() Predators include birds and other insects. Since bagworm cases are composed of silk and the materials from their habitat, they are naturally camouflaged from predators. One bagworm species was found to eat an orb-web of Plebs sachalinensis (Araneae, Araneidae) entirely. A few species also consume small arthropods (such as the camphor scale Pseudaonidia duplex, a scale insect). Some bagworms are specialized in their host plants ( monophagous), while others can feed on a variety of plant species (polyphagous). Trees infested with bagworms exhibit increasingly damaged foliage as the infestation increases until the leaves are stripped bare. In the larval stage, bagworms extend their head and thorax from their mobile case to devour the leaves of host plants, often leading to the death of their hosts. Most male bagworm wings have few of the scales characteristic of most moths, instead having a thin covering of hairs.īagworm (possibly Hyalarcta huebneri) extending its forequarters from its case in the act of locomotion. The adult males of most species are strong fliers with well-developed wings and feathery antennae but survive only long enough to reproduce due to underdeveloped mouthparts that prevent them from feeding. In some species, parthenogenesis is known. Adult females of many bagworm species are larviform, with only vestigial wings, legs, and mouthparts. The attachment substance used to affix the bag to host plant, or structure, can be very strong, sometimes requiring a great deal of force to remove. More specialized species exhibit a greater variety of case size, shape, and composition, usually narrowing on both ends. Cases among the more primitive species are flat. Each species makes a case particular to its species, making the case more useful to identify the species than the creature itself. Case-bearer cases are usually much smaller, flimsier, and consist mainly of silk, while bagworm "bags" resemble caddisfly cases in their outward appearance – a mass of (mainly) plant detritus spun together with silk on the inside.īagworm cases range in size from less than 1 cm to 15 cm among some tropical species. ![]() In many species, the adult females lack wings and are therefore difficult to identify accurately. The larvae of some species eat lichen, while others prefer green leaves. These cases are attached to rocks, trees or fences while resting or during their pupa stage, but are otherwise mobile. The caterpillar larvae of the Psychidae construct cases out of silk and environmental materials such as sand, soil, lichen, or plant materials. One bagworm species, the fangalabola ( Deborrea malgassa) of Madagascar, is in some places encouraged to breed on wattle trees, because its pupae are collected as a protein-rich food. If detected early, picking the cases from the trees while in their pupa stage is an effective way to check an infestation otherwise, insecticides are used. to wattle ( Acacia mearnsii) in South Africa and orange ( Citrus × sinensis) in Florida. However, a few species can become more serious pests, and have caused significant damage e.g. Most bagworms are inoffensive to humans and inconspicuous some are occasional nuisance pests. This means that the bagworms and case-bearers are only as closely related to each other as either is to butterflies (Rhopalocera). The bagworms belong to the superfamily Tineoidea, which is a basal lineage of the Ditrysia (as is Gelechioidea, which includes case-bearers). The names refer to the habits of caterpillars of these two families, which build small protective cases in which they can hide. Bagworm species are found globally, with some, such as the snailcase bagworm ( Apterona helicoidella), in modern times settling continents where they are not native.Īnother common name for the Psychidae is "case moths", but this is just as well used for the case-bearers (Coleophoridae). The bagworm family is fairly small, with about 1,350 species described. The Psychidae ( bagworm moths, also simply bagworms or bagmoths) are a family of the Lepidoptera ( butterflies and moths). JSTOR ( February 2018) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Īdult of an undescribed Iphierga species from Aranda (Australia)ġ0 subfamilies, 241 genera and 1,350 speciesīag of Metura elongatus which can grow to more than 120 mm (4.7 in) in length Bagworm moth caterpillar locomotion.Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification. ![]()
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