Moths

Butterfly and Moth Image Gallery : Moths

Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Bagworm Moth)

The bagworm moth is a tiny species that looks like a fly. It was named after the ephemerida or mayfly.

Description: The bagworm moth is one of eight genera of moths whose larva construct bags made of tiny sticks, leaves, and other bits held together by silk. The adult male has a black body and transparent wings with a span of about 1/2 inch. The adult female is wingless and legless and never leaves the bag. She deposits hundreds of eggs in the bag. When they hatch, the new larva leave the bag to construct their own bags on tree and shrub branches.

Habitat: Bagworms are found all over the United States. Different genera are prevalent in different areas.

Learn more about the bagworm from this article.

Collection of the Illinois State Museum
Photographed by Dr. Everett Cashatt
Accession #:

Butterfly and Moth Image Gallery : Moths

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