Bagworm
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| Bagworm | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Haworth, 1803) |
The Bagworm (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis) is a moth that spins its cocoon all its larval life, decorating it with bits of juniper, thuja, cypress, pine, spruce, cedar, and other such conifers, on which it also feeds. When mature, it wraps silk around a branch, hangs from it, and pupates. The male emerges and flies on transparent wings (Greek thuris window + pterux wing) smelling for a female. The female merely opens a hole in her cocoon at the tail end. Later her pupal case can be found, full of the yellow remains of eggshells.
Bagworms are commonly parasitized by ichneumonid wasps, notably Itoplectis conquistor. Predators include vespid wasps and hornets.
Sources
University of Minnesota Department of Entomology: Bagworm Information (http://www.entomology.umn.edu/cues/Web/071Bagworm.pdf)