bagworm

As summer draws to an end, many insects and mites approach the end of their seasonal activities as well. Curtis Young reports that the majority of common bagworms (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis) have finished their destructive feeding as caterpillars in their individual bags, have tied their bags to their host plant, and are pupating (pupa=3rd stage of their life cycle).

  The title of this bygl-alert is actually a bit disingenuous, since Dave Shetlar, Joe Boggs, and Curtis Young, entomologists all, are better equipped on the ins and outs of Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis, the common bagworm, compared to me, a plant pathologist. The Latin binomial itself makes me a bit crazy, which I guess makes sense, since the family (group of related genera) for the common bagworm is – Psychidae. The actual ins and outs in this case actually refers to what my wife and I saw at a central Pennsylvania rest area this weekend.  There were numerous...

Common bagworm (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis) populations crashed a few years ago in Ohio with this general defoliator becoming a rare find.  This changed last season with significant localized populations observed in many areas of the state and the trend appears to be continuing this season.  I've recently found several heavy infestations in southern Ohio with significant damage now becoming very evident.

 

It is a common misconception that bagworms only eat evergreens; however, the caterpillars can feed on over 130 different species of plants including a wide...

Overwintered common bagworm (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis) eggs have hatched in southwest Ohio and 1st instar caterpillars have settled to feed and construct their characteristic sac-like bags.  A percentage of the tiny 1st instar caterpillars produce a strand of silk upon hatching to catch the wind and "balloon" to new locations.  This behavior is one of the reasons bagworms often appear on hosts that were not infested last season.

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