More Surprises re/ the Bagworm or Case Moth

14 Replies

When I got home today, I decided I’d double-check and make sure I hadn’t overlooked the bagworm yesterday. And guess what?  This is what I saw, although it seemed like it was on a lower part of the succulent plant than before.

I snapped this shot and sure enough, when I compared it to the Dec. 30 photo I took of the bagworm cocoon I had discovered on that day and found missing on Jan 3, the bagworm casing is completely different and on another part of the plant than before.  Did the bagworm build a new cocoon or is this another bagworm?  If so, what happened to the old cocoon? Or is this an entirely new bagworm? Mysteries, mysteries.

Below are the 2 cocoons side-by-side.

Photo taken on Dec. 30
Photo taken on Jan 4

I’ll keep an eye out for future developments.  Anyone with information to share, please do. Your expertise in this matter will be appreciated. In the meantime, I’m researching bagworms or case moths.

HERE is a link to my original post when I discovered the first cocoon.

And here is a Faceook message from my friend Jan Golik who first acquainted me with bagworms when she formed a relationship with one during her Covid isolation:

Now, my research on the matter:

How serious are bagworms? Bagworm larvae grow and feed on trees causing plant damage. These pests can be dangerous and costly to landscaping plants, but they pose no threat to human health. Large infestations of these pests may damage or cause trees and shrubs to die from defoliation.
Adult males transform into moths in four weeks to seek out females for mating. The female never leaves the cocoon, requiring that the male mate with her through the open end at the back of the case. She has no eyes, legs, wings, or antennae and can’t eat, but she emits a strong pheromone to attract a mate.
Below is a male bagworm emerging from his bag:
I am fascinated by this process. Can’t stand to destroy the “bag”
This entry was posted in insects in Mexico, Uncategorized and tagged , , on by .

About lifelessons

My blog, which started out to be about overcoming grief, quickly grew into a blog about celebrating life. I post daily: poems, photographs, essays or stories. I've lived in countries all around the globe but have finally come to rest in Mexico, where I've lived since 2001. My books may be found on Amazon in Kindle and print format, my art in local Ajijic galleries. Hope to see you at my blog.

14 thoughts on “More Surprises re/ the Bagworm or Case Moth”

      1. bushboy

        Do the school thing. put fresh branches in a shoe box with the moth.
        We did that with Silk Worms and Mulberry leaves as a kid. The cocoons were quite lovely.

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