 Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis - Hodges#457 | This bagworm moth is Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (one of five species in this genus in the US). I am quoting the following text about its bizarre life cycle directly from the bugguide: "Larvae drag around their cases while feeding. When ready to pupate they attach the cases with silk to a branch. Males squeeze their way out, often losing much of their wing scales in the process. They seek wingless, legless females who never leave their bags. The males insert their abdomen to mate, and the females lay their eggs inside their own cases. Eggs overwinter and after hatching they disperse and begin forming their own bags." bug guide (this photo): http://bugguide.net/node/view/582050 |