leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Aug 26, 2016 17:23:39 GMT -8
I had to visit our local CVS Pharmacy in Georgetown, Kentucky today. Climbing up the wall of the building next to the entrance door at break neck speed was this dark gray larva with a black and brown head. You see this species all year long. It will eat about anything that is green and leafy. Does not like Garlic. It is considered a pest and it is always hanging around.
I have only collected males and until today, I have never seen a female. The female larva of this species is three time the size of the male.
I have been a Lepidopterist for over 60 years and this is a first for me.
And the little sucker bites!
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Post by mothman27 on Aug 27, 2016 7:40:48 GMT -8
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Aug 27, 2016 8:40:40 GMT -8
Well, what is it, ahha!
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Post by mothman27 on Aug 27, 2016 11:09:11 GMT -8
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis
The females have no wings, or undeveloped, right?
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Post by rayrard on Aug 28, 2016 11:28:11 GMT -8
So many vampire references I was thrown off. Garlic, hanging, biting, never see females... |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2016 17:04:14 GMT -8
I thought it was a picture of a leech or my ex-wife. Both are blood sucking parasites....
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Post by mothman27 on Sept 6, 2016 17:18:41 GMT -8
I could barely locate a picture of a female moth. I found a male tonight, the first I've seen although the cocoons are EVERYWHERE.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Sept 10, 2016 12:29:02 GMT -8
I forgot to respond to my own thread. You are correct Tim, it is Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (I have never understood why small moths get such large names). Common name, Evergreen Bag Worm or just Bag Worm. I placed her in a Cage with about 10 other Bag Worm Bags. To date, no activity. This is the entire image of the Larva with Bag in tow.  I found several other Bags on the shrubbery in front of the store (Georgetown, KY CVS Pharmacy). I opened them all. 7 males and two females. Small braconid wasps emerged from three pupae, two males and a female. All the others appear to be okay. I would like to see how they mate and the female lays the eggs. The female is flightless. Lepidoptera, they are amazing creatures. Just look at the complexity of the Bag Worm. The end of the bag where the larva protrudes looks like a fur collar on a coat. It was crawling up the wall, when I touched the bag, she instantly attached the collar to the wall and vanished into the bag. Lepidoptera Velcro. And this amazing little moth is considered a "Pest" species. |
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Post by mothman27 on Oct 5, 2017 17:30:02 GMT -8
Did you have luck with hatching these?
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Oct 5, 2017 22:32:22 GMT -8
I have collected Bag Worm "Sacks" a number of times. Many were parasitize by a tinny Broconid wasp. However, I have a number of adult males in my "Misc" drawer in my collection. The females is flightless, exits the Pupae lays eggs and dies in about a 48 hour span. And, it seems that she can move about very freely.
Collects some bag worm sacks and check them out.
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