Over the past few months, I have watched as more and more of these little hangy-things have grown in number on one of my plant containers in the backyard. They're different from the hangy-things in the laundry room, which are smoother and thinner, and probably belong to a case-bearing moth. No, these are spikier and more grassy. So a trip to the library and a bit of searching, and I think I have cracked the case, pun intended (thanks to Jamieson & Denny's Hawaii's Butterflies and Moths)! It's the home of the caterpillar of the bagworm moth, Brachycyttarus griseus in the family Psychidae. First reported in Oahu in 1984, the species is well established in South East Asia. The male moth is about one and a half centimeters in length, not so big, and the female is wingless. She's got it in the bag....living her entire life there, never to leave. The male impregnates her while she's in her protective casing and then she releases her eggs to the ground. Upon hatching, the little caterpillars eat grass, such as Paspalurn conjugaturn and Zoysia pungens, and immediately get to work constructing their casings. They drag them behind as they feed, and enlarge them with bit of grass and webbing as they go. Once they are about one centimeter in length, the larvae climb up to a spot, say, on a plant pot, the eave of a roof, or a garden shed, and attach themselves to pupate. Only the males will leave the casing, when they go in search of a mate. They are said to be pretty harmless, though I did find a website that said they were pests of basil and lemongrass. So, now the caterpillar is out of the bag.
17 Comments
Alohakido
6/11/2014 01:33:20 pm
Problem is these love to eat evergreen and our illustrious Ohia trees.
Reply
Jeanne
6/11/2014 02:49:18 pm
Alohakido, Thanks for this added information. I found very little literature on this guy. Do you know this from observation, or do have any sources you could point me to?
Reply
7/26/2014 11:29:15 am
I have a serious infestation of these. They are killing my Queen Emma rose bush. They have destroyed my herbs and strawberries. The only way I have been able to control them at all, is by finding them in their cocoons and crushing them. Has to be a better way. Everything I find about them on the Internet comes from the mainland and has to do with getting them just after their mating season in May. But here in Hawaii, every day is their mating "season." Any advice?
Reply
Bruce Mulder
10/14/2014 08:50:20 am
Is there some site online where i can view a photo of the male Bagworm Moth in moth form ? I have probably stared at one already, but could not confirm from the caption, that it was a Bagworm Moth.
Reply
Auntie CK
7/2/2017 01:50:58 am
Oops, here's the link. (Auntie Jeanne - I think I posted the website in the wrong field the 1st time)
Auntie CK
7/2/2017 01:51:59 am
http://biostor.org/reference/55905/page/4
Ray-gun
6/14/2016 06:07:47 pm
All 36 years of my life in Hawaii I have seen these and only now I know they are. Mahalo to you
Reply
Pam
7/22/2019 07:20:35 pm
Same here! Its news to me the little buggers are everywhere! Now I know what's eating my canna lily!thanks!
Reply
Dwight
12/3/2016 03:35:55 pm
thank you for this blog and finally solving the mystery for me!
Reply
Melanie
8/4/2017 01:11:14 am
Thanks for the information. These little bugs are eating my iris plant.
Reply
Forrest
9/26/2018 10:22:21 am
Thanks! I've been wonder what these are!
Reply
Laurz
6/29/2021 08:57:55 pm
Thank you for the info! I haven't really noticed them until just last year. They started appearing everywhere in my yard hanging from almost anything in my backyard. Is there anyway to get rid of them?
Reply
7/19/2021 09:26:29 pm
So glad Rob Yagi from Waikoloa Dry Forest sent me this blog post. Very interesting…I looked everywhere for the answer so this was helpful.
Reply
Sam
9/2/2021 11:03:21 pm
These bugs are leaving my la’i (ti) leaves and lemongrass full of holes. Does anyone have a safe control other than Hutu g them manually? Mahalo.
Reply
Christiane
10/17/2021 01:44:49 am
I’ve been wondering for years what these weird thing were hanging under my eaves! Thank you!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
welcomes you to visit with the all the wonderful flora and fauna that we share this lovely aina with. Categories
All
Archives
October 2014
|