I marked where it was hanging above the footpath so I could return, for a closer inspection. An hour later I returned to my garden and it had disappeared. My first reaction was the wind had blown it, but then to my astonishment a metre away the sack cocoon was moving. A worm like caterpillar was clawing its way along the footpath attached or pulling its sack shelter. But the true surprise is that you would never suspect that this tattered twiggy casing contained a large, brightly coloured, living larva.
The caterpillar is indeed large, around ten centimetres long, a shiny black with orange stripes and a matching, rounded nub of a head. Its underbelly was covered in a series of sharp, opposing nails that dragged itself and the sack across the path and grass.
I expected it would sense my presence and move quickly away. But instead, as if perceiving some appreciative audience, it swivelled its orange head around and sized me up with its eyeless face. With a little research I found that this cocoon sack building exhibitionist, was in fact the Saunders Case Moth Metura elongatus the largest member of the plus Australian Psychidaes or Bagworm families.
Since that first encounter I have regularly seen Bagworm Sacks in Sanctuary Lakes gardens and around the fringes of the golf course. Some hanging off trees, or on foot paths and yet others brilliantly camouflaged as dying leaves or lying beneath bushes, amongst the fallen leaves.
The Case Moth caterpillar builds its cocoon sack from the head end. The larvae form cocoons, and in weeks will transform into adult fleas. These cocoons are nearly impossible to see. Butterflies and moths are perhaps the most commonly known insects that build cocoons. Their larvae, which are caterpillars, are voracious eaters. Caterpillars spin silk, and this silk is used to form the cocoon for the pupal stage of development — the final stage before adulthood.
Some moths, such as the clothes moth , may find their way into homes. These moths feed on common household items, such as fibers in clothes and grains or other foods in the kitchen. If necessary, these moths may form cocoons and pupate in your house. A pest control professiona l can help identify the cocoon and the species of moth that created it.
Some species of caddisflies build cocoons. These insects resemble moths, and they spend most of their lives in or near bodies of water like lakes, rivers and ponds. The larval stage of these insects lasts up to two years, during which they feed on algae or other small organisms found in the water in which they live.
Larval caddisflies spin silk and use this material to make cocoons or casings around twigs and other particles in the water, like sand and gravel. Typically, caddisflies pupate from the winter through the early spring. Some species of parasitic wasps attack hosts and use these host insects as nutrients for their young throughout development.
The stage at which the wasp attacks varies with species, some attacking eggs, others choosing larvae or adults. Many species of case moth caterpillars are plant feeders; others feed on lichens; while some live within the nests of ants and are thought to be scavengers. The caterpillar is a very skilled climber, able to climb any surface by building a silk ladder attached to the surface they wish to climb.
The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands. Image credit: gadigal yilimung shield made by Uncle Charles Chicka Madden. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more. Introduction The caterpillars who make their own mobile home are often seen attached to fences and walls in urban settings.
The Saunders' case moth first attaches leaves then short twigs arranged lengthwise. Identification The adult males have black wings, an orange hairy head, and a black and orange banded abdomen.
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